A GUIDE’S TALE – THE BEGINNING OF A FEEDING PARTY
”The other day I started work early in the morning as I was going to sail on the oak boat “Faldur” on the day’s first departure. The weather was very nice and promising: there was no wind and the sea very calm.
First we decided to check out what was happening on the opposite side of Skjálfandi Bay, where we had been lucky the days before and where whales had been were busy with feeding. That day however, when we came to that specific area, everything seemed to be calm: no whales, no birds which had been feeding together with whales the days before - nothing but silence. Still, it was simply beautiful!
After a little time we spotted some splashes far north in quite a distance to us. Dolphins! ’Let’s check them out,’ said the captain and it didn’t take a long time until we got closer as they were travelling very fast right towards us. Right when they had passed by our boat, we spotted some blows, but again further north. Humpbacks!
It took us little time to get closer and we noticed it was two of them together, but just a bit later they split up and we decided to focus on one of them. The whale however started to travel south, he was swimming slowly and calm for a couple of minutes. We stayed in an appropriate distance to him avoiding disturbing him on his travel. Whilst we followed the whale back south, the other whale stayed just were we first found the animal.
Suddenly I spotted another blow far south ahead of us and another one a bit more to the left. The whale we were joining on its travel continued its way south, approaching the other whales. Out of the sudden, the humpback we left behind started to travel closer to us as well.
Short after all four swam together in the same area. Spotting their beautiful white flippers even below the surface, we could follow them with our eyes all the time. Then they started to surface more often and just a second later the first one broke the surface with its mouth widely open. Once on the surface, the animal closed its mouth and pushed more and more litres of water out of it. Finally they were feeding! Within a few seconds more of them started to show the same behaviour over and over again. Hundreds of birds came to join the whales’ breakfast. The feeding party had started! We had arrived just in the right time to witness the show.
The whales repeated the same behaviour over and over. They were rolling to the side and were chasing their prey along the surface with their throat fully expanded and their mouths widely open. We got to watch them from so close and it was simply spectacular. We also could spot our ’stars’ of Skjálfandi Bay called “Snow White” and “Orion”.
But every tour has to finish at some point and for us it was time to go back to the harbour. Everybody had a big smile on the face, and myself, I could not wait for the next tour to start to get back to this feeding party. Then, about two hours later, I could not believe what was happening at the mountains: We counted at least eight humpbacks feeding together on the same spot. More individuals could be seen in the greater area and some blows also in the distance.
This has definitely been my best day at sea so far and I am sure I will remember this day forever! Even for us, the crew, it was an unforgettable experience and memories for a life time! Watch a video of my day at sea here.
This is truly wild nature and even though it might change, it might also be even better tomorrow!
So don’t hesitate and come to visit us in Húsavík on another unforgettable adventure.) THIS IS IT!!“
- Miroslav
Photo: Sarah Arndt, Video: Miroslav Cibul’a
Watch the video here!
