One of those days at sea that reminds us how unpredictable and fascinating wildlife can be. We were incredibly lucky to witness orcas hunting a seal in Skjálfandi Bay, a very rare sighting in our waters.
As October began, several humpback whales returned to Skjálfandi Bay. Once again, the bay seems to come alive, attracting these gentle giants back to one of their important feeding grounds. While we have enjoyed watching the whales feed over the past few days, the weather has other plans for us today, keeping us safely on land while the wind and waves take over the bay.
When people set out from Húsavík to search for whales in Skjálfandi Bay, the whales are naturally the main attraction. But there is much more to discover on a trip across the bay. With all the elements one can encounter along the way, the wonders of Skjálfandi Bay create an experience that goes far beyond simply spotting a whale.
While another unforgettable whale watching season is still unfolding in Skjálfandi Bay, we are already looking ahead to the adventures that await in 2027. From the first signs of spring to the colorful days of autumn, every season in Húsavík brings something unique.
Every year, on the fourth Sunday of September, World Rivers Day is celebrated around the globe. The day aims to highlight the importance of rivers to life on Earth. Rivers provide freshwater and habitat, support incredible biodiversity, and hold immense ecological, economic, and cultural value.
DO WE LOVE ALL WHALES, OR DO WE HAVE FAVOURITES? Obviously, yes and yes! Each humpback whale has a unique pattern on its fluke, which allows us to recognize them individually. As we see whales come and go around the bay throughout the season, it’s impossible for guides not to have a favourite — a whale with a beautiful pattern, a special behaviour, or a crazy encounter that stays with us.
Do you remember our recent story about the bearded seal exploring Skjálfandi Bay and approaching our boats? It seems our curious visitor and boat inspector has decided that a visit to the bay wasn’t complete without passing by Húsavík harbour as well! Naturally, it didn’t take long for word to spread: What started as a quiet harbour visit quickly became a small local event, with people from all around town coming down to the water in the hope of catching a glimpse of our unexpected guest.
Not all baleen whales feed in the same way. Humpback, blue, fin and minke whales belong to the family Balaenopteridae (rorquals), while right whales and bowhead whales belong to the family Balaenidae.
Looking back, the 24th of July was a special day. We had a lot of active breaching and tail slapping behaviour from the 6 whales in the bay that day. But a certain whale stole the show completly by tail slapping for close to an hour, revealing its genital area for us to see and allowing us to tentatively confirm: Popeye is a female.
In the blink of an eye another month has passed and as August has ended, we're excited about September and the autumn months ahead of us now! September is a month of changes: as falls starts, the colours of the landscape around us continue changing - soon everything will be red yellow and orange and the scent of blueberries that now appear everywhere will be in the air for quite a while longer.
