Skjálfandi Bay in North Iceland is world-famous for its whales, drawing visitors from around the globe eager to witness these giants of the sea. Yet, beneath the waves lies another natural wonder that makes the bay a true biological treasure: vast underwater forests.
Whale watching is all about humans heading out into the wild to observe these incredible giants of the sea. But sometimes, the roles are reversed. Across different whale species, there is a rare and fascinating behavior called spy hopping.
August has been a month full of variety and surprises out on the bay, with whale activity shifting and changing as the weeks went by. Early in the month, the southern part of the bay was alive with minke whales, busily feeding in shoals of fish.
The days of the midnight sun are long behind us, and as the days continously grow shorter, we are offering our evening “GG2 Big Whale Safari” tour departing at 19:00 /7pm on our modern RIB speedboats for just a few more days — until the end of this month.
The whale’s blow is much more than a breath. It is an insant sculpture of air and water, a sign of life breaking the ocean’s surface, and one of the most important keys for both science and whale watching.
Every day, Skjálfandi Bay shows us something amazing. From playful whales and abundant wildlife to the mountains that change color with the light, there’s always something new to see. The bay is full of life and incredible diversity.
During our tours, we regularly spot humpback whales, minke whales and white-beaked dolphins. No matter how many times you see them, it never gets old! Sometimes, however, we are surprised by unexpected visitors.
It’s time to wave goodbye to the puffins of Lundey! From now on, our GG2 Big Whale Safari and Puffins tour will skip our puffin stop and spend more time with the ocean’s gentle giants — the whales. Puffins are true ocean wanderers, spending most of the year far out at sea.
Guests often ask us if the whales are affected by the weather. It makes sense - we all want to get the best out of our trips! The simple response would be "not really, they need to come to the surface for breathing anyway".
Our beautiful bay is surrounded by nesting places for many different bird species. One of these is the noisy arctic tern, who we frequently see fishing as we go out whale watching. Their breeding season is coming to an end around this time of year.
