FOLLOWING IN HIS GRANDFATHER'S FOOTSTEPS BY BECOMING A CAPTAIN
About a week ago Óli (Ólafur Ármann Sigurðsson) started working as a captain on our RIB speed boats and is since then going out for our “GG2 Big Whale Safari and Puffins”-tours.
Before being allowed to sail into the bay on his own, he underwent a training, which was carried out by our head captain Sverrir Yngvi Karlsson.
Then last Monday, he was good to go on his own for the first time. “How did you feel before your first trip alone?” “A bit nervous beforehand, but everything went really well so I felt a lot better after the trip.” Indeed the passengers that are just leaving the RIB speed boat have a huge smile on their face and appear really happy and satisfied with the trip. I wonder what connects Óli to this place and what makes the job special: “It's a very unique experience to be able to show people wild marine mammals in their natural habitat. [As for the place itself,] fishing in Skjálfandi Bay is a part of my family. My grandfather is a captain here in the bay and my first summer job as a teenager was working on a small fishing boat. [Later on,] I’ve worked as a deckhand on a fishing boat.” Furthermore, Óli tells he likes the challenge of the job, of the whale watching and indeed, finding and showing the whales to our guests is an exciting adventure every single time – after all, as we deal with wild animals, no two tours end up being the same. In addition to that, Óli likes that working on the boats means being outside a lot and getting a lot of fresh air daily. When I ask Óli why he chose to become a captain, he answers that his grandfather is a captain and that therefore he has always wanted to try it himself.
- Sarah
PHOTOS: Miroslav Cibul'a (guide), Stefán Guðmundsson (CEO)
