Getting to know Stephan
Name: Stephan Kolditz
DOB: June 24th 1977
Nationality: French
Position: Guide
Stephan Kolditz joined the North Sailing team this spring and we sat down and I had a little chat with him.
Do you have any whale watching experience?
Yes, I worked as a whale watching guide in Norway in 2008, in South Africa in 2009 and of course now with North Sailing since this spring.
Why did you come to Iceland?
Last year I was working in Norway as a tour guide on a bus, but before that I was guiding there on whale watching tours. When I was guiding on the bus I started to miss the whales and the sea, so I decided to come to Iceland and renew my motivation. My colleagues asked me why I wanted to go to Iceland and referred to the economy crisis, but I simply wanted to see Iceland. I really enjoy discovering new countries, new cultures and values and I knew Iceland was a good place to do so. I had heard that Iceland is developing into an important whale watching nation, with a good variety of whales and locations to see them. Therefore, people like to come here to make their dream come true, that is to see these amazing animals.
I don’t regret my decision at all and Iceland has definitely surpassed my expectations. Great people, beautiful landscape and of course the whales. I really enjoy working for North Sailing and it is definitely the best whale watching company I have worked for. The old oak boats are so unique and excellent for whale watching, and of course the conditions Skálfandi bay has to offer. For whale enthusiasts like me, this is definitely a place worth checking out!
What languages do you speak?
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian and a little Norwegian.
Favorite whale?
That is a hard question, but I have to say the humpback whale and the killer whale. The humpback is a very special whale, it is an elegant animal especially when it raises its fluke for a deep-dive, it is not shy, it is playful, so unique with its long flippers, a great singer, long distance traveller and I could go on and on.
There is also something so fascinating about the killer whale. It is the cruelest whale in the world but never the less it is one of my favorites. The tall dorsal fin, the white spots on each side of their head and so much more. It is possible to see these whales in theme parks such as Sea World but it is not comparable to seeing them in the wild nature, in their preferred habitat.
We thank Stephan for chatting with us, but he has headed down to the pier, along with a number of excited passengers, for his last whale watching trip of the day.
– Guide Ármann Örn
