It happened two days ago. The closer we came, the longer I held my breath. I could not believe my eyes when I finally realised what we had in front of us... A passenger had first noticed something in a distance and we turned the boat in that direction, but there were no typical signs of a whale.
A 15 metre, 30 ton fin whale has stranded in Vejle fjord on the East coast of Jylland in Denmark. It is stuck some 20 metres out from the beach and still half covered by water. Yesterday night people waded out to touch it.
I just arrived back to Húsavík to be a guide at Gentle Giants for the third time. I have been waiting for that moment for almost three quarters of a year, since I left this lovely little town last summer.
“It’s never too early” says Captain Óðinn as he brings his new born son for another whale watching tour. It is not the first time Ásþór Haukur, just two months old, is out at sea.
Yesterday at 12:00 I experienced something fantastic. Close to Puffin Island Óðinn and I came across a group of white-beaked dolphins – probably around 150 individuals.
With a research method called “photo-identification” it is possible to identify individual whales, which is especially efficient with humpback whales. They often show the underside of their fluke when going down for a dive and the fact is that no two humpback whales have the same pattern underneath their flukes.
Great news from the bay - blue whales have been spotted! Perfect weather conditions, loads of whales and happy passengers ... what more can you ask for? For the last years the big blues have arrived into the bay in the beginning of June.
From 1st June we add several whale watching departures to our schedule. Trips depart daily from Húsavík harbour at 9:45, 12:00, 13:15, 16:45 and 20:15. For info & booking send us a line at info@gentlegiants.
“I think I saw something there!” one person calls to another; arm stretched out, finger pointing straight in a specific direction. It happens all the time on our boats that people want to share their excitement and experience with others - a sign of that interest has awoken and is being spread.
A group of eight pilots joined our afternoon trip today after landing their three aeroplanes at Húsavík airport. They are members of a flight club called “Aeroclub de la Brie”, which has its home hangar near to Paris in France.
