Husavik Whale Watching NS-1 - North Iceland

The experience of a lifetime

A minke whale bathing in the sunlight in Husavik

Blue whale spouting next to passengers

Bjössi Sör sailing – Passengers on the lookout for whales

The humpback whales are known to show their breaching skills during whale watching tours

Humpback whale, a species of baleen whale, up close and personal

Husavik has become Iceland's premier whale-watching destination, with 12 species coming here to feed in summer. Although whale-watching tours boast impressive success rates for sightings (95% to 98%), do have in mind that whales do not always appear on cue.

* Note! This tour is in Husavik, northeast Iceland.

Price

Adults:  9,700 ISK per person

Children (7–15): 50% off

Under 7 years old: free

Schedule

Details

Duration: about 3 hours

Refreshments: hot chocolate & cinnamon rolls

Guide: expert whale watching guide

Extra clothes: warm 66° North overalls, raincoats, hats, gloves, blankets

You can also send us an email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Description

The Original Húsavík Whale Watching tour has given the town a reputation of being Europe’s whale watching capital. Join one of our boats and experience the wildlife in Skjálfandi Bay where you have the opportunity to get in close proximity to the world's largest animals. Whale Watching is now one of the most popular tourist activities in Iceland.

Experience the original Húsavík Whale Watching tour that has given the town the reputation of being Europe's whale watching capital.

Enjoy the magnificent wildlife and stunning scenery aboard a renovated traditional oak fishing boat. At North Sailing we only operate boats made of oak, with fuel efficient and silent diesel engines thus being friendly to the environment. The boats are all specially equipped and fulfill all requirements for whale watching.

Husavik lies on the edge of Skjalfandi, a wide, deep bay with good water circulation, natural shelter and little variation in tides - ideal conditions for whales. The area has become Iceland's premier whale-watching destination, with 12 species coming here to feed in summer. The Husavik Whale Museum is located in the downtown by the harbour.

Minke whales are by far the most common species seen in the bay, with regular sightings of white-beaked dolphins, humpback whales and porpoises and less frequent appearances by orcas, fin, sei or pilot whales, and the 'big one' - blue whales.

It takes about an hour to sail to the prime feeding grounds, where crew and participants get busy looking out for telltale signs of a surfacing whale. Although whale-watching tours boast impressive success rates for sightings (95% to 98%), whales don't appear on cue. Sightings are announced using a 'clock' system, with the stern of the boat at 12 o'clock.

Different whales have different habits and identifying features. The curious minke whale surfaces two or three times in quick succession before executing a deep dive and sometimes may even approach the boat. Humpback whales breach and sometimes roll over, holding an enormous flipper in the air. Most whales arrive in Icelandic waters in spring (around May) and stay to feed until September, when they return to warmer southern waters for breeding.

In town there is also a civic museum about culture and biology. Among other things, it shows a stuffed polar bear (arrived in Grimsey in 1969) and some ancient boats. Enjoy your visit!

More images: Husavik whale watching tours.