TWO BLUE WHALES IN SKJÁLFANDI BAY
“Watching the blue whale through the telescope in my apartment! So exciting. Best way to spend my Sunday!” It is winter in Húsavík. Unbelievable but true, there have been on and off reports of blue whale sightings in Skjálfandi Bay last week. Yesterday, our guide and researcher Charla got it confirmed and spent her Sunday watching TWO BLUE WHALES from her living room window.
Here is a text from our guide and researcher Charla and her partner Yann Kolbeinsson, one of Iceland’s leading birders.
“For most Icelandic birders, seeing the first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year is a sign of spring. For most Icelandic non-birders, hearing about the first European Golden Plover is a sign of spring. However, for people living in Húsavík it should maybe be the return of Blue Whales into the bay marking the beginning of spring? The first was spotted exceptionally early last Wednesday, today no less than two were chilling out there. Here's a video taken with phone through telescope from our living room (make sure to watch it in HD). Happy "spring" (freezing temp and lots of snow outside)!”
Those largest animals on earth have been frequent visitors in Skjálfandi Bay in the last years, usually arriving in late spring and early summer. Last year, the first reported sighting was on our first tour of the year in the beginning of April. Therefore, seeing blue whales in the bay at this time of the year is very unusual.
We send huge thanks to Charla and Yann for their blue whale report from yesterday from Húsavík and hope that this giant encounter means a promising whale season ahead!