Humpback whales have a particular feature on top of their heads and under the chin that other whales don´t. That feature is little bumps, called tubercules, which can be almost the size of a golf ball.
Today we say thank you and goodbye to the month of September 👋🏽 It was a month of many feelings, we got quite a few days of bad weather, winter came early and the mountains got covered of snow, we had beautiful sea days with hungry whales and days where whales were enjoying their time underwater for a long time.
Someone is checking on us! Spotting a cute little head out of the water checking on humans is one of the highlights of some tours! Skjálfandi Bay is home to many species and seals are one of them One of the places where we normally see them is around a rock close to the mountains, called Fiskisker (fish rock).
Even though humpback whales tend to be the species we spot in most of our tours, they aren't the only ones inhabiting Skjálfandi Bay. Here in the bay we have many other species roaming around and one of them is our beloved sneaky stinky minke! You might find weird the way that I just introduced you to this whale but that's our nickname for the minke whale! You wonder why? Minke whales, despite being quite frequent visitors to Skjálfandi Bay, they are not the easiest species to spot and to follow.
Whales are magnificent animals - and there's something so magical about them! Lifetime memories are hopefully something every one of our passengers makes on our tours - of these gentle giants of the wild blue ocean! While we thrive to always give the best experience possible, it's so great to hear back from our guests, whether that is a message, review, photos or videos.
Just the other day, I talked about the efficiency of the so-called blubber layer when it comes to keeping a whale warm while swimming in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. However, there's more to this fat layer than just its superb insulation attributes against freezing temperatures.
Have you ever wondered how whales manage to survive in these cold waters around Iceland (and even further north!), especially now as temperatures started to drop again near to freezing, fresh snow has fallen and is covering our beautiful Cheek Mountains – and winter will surely be knocking at our doors soon enough? BLUBBER! All marine mammals, not just whales, but also dolphins, seals, walruses, have a very special fat layer, the so-called blubber.
September started greatly in terms of whale sightings: Hungry humpback and minke whales are roaming the bay in search for more and more food! Most of the time, they have been feeding around our boats, completely undisturbed by our presence, but mainly focused on getting as many "bites" as possible.
If you travelled around Iceland during the summer months, you sure noticed all the sheep roaming around freely around the country. Each year, after lambing season finishes in spring, farmers let their sheep out of the stables and fields to roam freely over the highlands for the following months.
Humpback whales are known for many reasons, for being beautiful, for being one of the most studied species of whales and for their beautiful vocalizations! Whales and dolphins (and many other sea creatures) rely on sound to find their food, to know more about their surroundings, to find each other and to communicate.
