After Christmas María, one of our guides, had the opportunity to join a Marine Research Project in south Madagascar for 7 weeks and there she went. Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island in the world and due to its isolation in the Indian Ocean, about 70% of the estimated 250.000 species found there exist nowhere else on the globe.
At the start of this new year, it is interesting to look back at past events that took place last year in 2006 with Gentle Giants’ operations. Summer of 2006 was one of the best whale watching seasons ever for Húsavík … and when we at Gentle Giants come to think of it – probably the very best one yet – possibly one that will be hard to beat for some time!!! But, then again, we never know what to expect from our friendly friends in the Skjalfandi bay – so we anxiously await 2007. From the beginning of the season until late September, Skjálfandi bay was alive with whales – with many different species spotted in the bay during the season - the most diverse amount since the beginning of whale watching in Húsavík! A few lucky Gentle Giants crew members actually had the privilege on the 30th of April of greeting the first 4 humpbacks that arrived into the bay for the season to start, only 500 metres from the harbour of Húsavík.
Whale watching from Husavik has come to an end after a great summer of 2006. Overall this season was superb … Plenty of whales spotted in the bay, weather good, and a lot of tourists visiting Husvik! Earlier this month, Vestnorden Travel Mart was held in Reykjavik.
September is usually a quiet season. Locals and people coming to the town in the summertime to work or spend the summer with their families, leave Húsavík and go back to their jobs or studies in other towns around Iceland or even abroad.
Yesterday our crew and passengers had the best trip ever! It was a lovely morning for spotting whales; excellent sunny weather, flat sea and a lot had been going on in the bay during the previous days.
Humpback whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) are among the most common species spotted in Skjálfandi bay during the summer 2006. They were already here in April and still with us, hopefully for long..
Skjálfandi bay is blessed with exceptional scenery, and luckily so far it is free of any heavy industry to ruin the spectacular views while sailing on the bay. Iceland´s main industry is fishing, and in Húsavík Harbour there are a few companies that produce fish for export, mainly cod.
One can surely say that the past month of July was really good for whale watching in Skjalfandi bay – and the bay has been alive with whales!5 different species were spotted on our tours in July – giant blue whales, humpback whales, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises.
Husavik has been very lively because of the Husavik Festival – Candy days & Swedish days 2006 - and this morning a sea angling competition was held by GENTLE GIANTS & GPG.A lot of people participated in the sea angling competition – local people as well as tourists! Competitors were divided into three boats – Athena ÞH, Sædís ÞH and Ásgeir ÞH, which all departed from Husavik harbour at 8:00 and returned at 12:00.Weather conditions were outstanding and catching very good – mainly cod – in our rich fishing grounds close to Husavik.
Today the HÚSAVÍK FESTIVAL began in Husavik and will be going on this week. The Húsavík Festival is actually a celebration of two local festivals:-SWEET DAYS (Mærudagar) is a local celebration of family and friends and is usually held the second weekend of August.
