Calming down
After the exciting day yesterday today everthing seemed to calm down. The first visitors rush after the storm decreased and throughout the day also the sea got calm and flat again, although there was still some swell – the aftermath of the stormy conditions two days ago.
We went out and sailed into the western part of Skjálfandi Bay, checking out the areas close to the mountains, whcih are known to be rich feeding grounds for the marine mammals. And fortunately we were right: We spotted a humpback whale and approached it. We had the chance to observe it while it was bubblenet feeding: It exhaled under the sea surface, producing a curtain of bubbles to herd the fish together. We spent some time with the individual, when we saw two more black backs surfacing a bit further south. We headed there and encountered two more humpback whales, surfacing right next to each other. Since these whales are usually solitary animals it’s quite special to see two of them socializing and swimming so close together.
In the afternoon we spotted the three humpback whales again and this time one of them was very curious: It approached the boat, turned on its side and had a close look at us and the boat. What a wonderful encounter!
Luisa, guide
Two humpback whales surfacing in front of the schooner Hildur (photo: Luisa Klotz)
