Sperm whales!

Though the weather was cloudy, our enthusiastic group of whale-watchers and crew departed Húsavík harbour aboard our schooner Haukur. As we sailed through the bay, we first encountered a  Humpback whale that was happy to stay close to the boat, and being very showy with its fluke as it dived down deeper into the water. News on the radio told of a rare visitor in the Bay: a couple of Sperm whales had been spotted further North! We soon set course towards these two visitors, though our best efforts were not enough to spot them. However, our friends on Bjössi Sor were lucky enough to get an excellent view. Indeed, Sperm whales can be very fast, and they are not often in the “shallow” waters of Skjálfandi Bay. 

Our second trip of the day led us to the morning’s Humpback whale, which was just as exciting as always. As we had time to spare, a quick look around the mountains in the West seemed like a good idea. This area is popular for Minke whales and Harbour porpoises, so a quick look might reveal some interesting marine mammals. As we got close to the farmhouse in Naustavík, we noticed several groups of Harbour Porpoises swimming around, and soon we were surrounded by them! Turning off the motor let us even hear their breath, which is a really unique experience. Even our captain had never heard it!