Whale Watching in Iceland

The sea and sky off the coast of Iceland are the same milky grey colour streaked with silvery blue. Gulls gather in groups, just as the whale watchers on the now-silent ship, stand shoulder to shoulder along the railings. All eyes are on the surface of the water waiting for the spout of water or the darker grey of the whale as it rises and dives into the depths. The anticipatory excitement at spotting a whale is high. Suddenly they are in front of the ship.

Fearless Minkes and Humpbacked Whales

There are mostly minke whales which grow up to 11 metres long and can weigh 10 tons at the peak of their 50 year life span. They are curious, approaching the boat fearlessly.

When the first humpbacked whale is seen about 200 metres from one side of the ship, the whale watchers rush across to see the tail, known as the flukes of this 40 ton mammal disappearing into the ocean. It does feel like a momentous event, and from beneath their woolly hats and hooded jackets, everyone smiles and sighs.

White Beaked Dolphins Cavorting

Almost immediately a small group of rather stubby nosed white beaked dolphins appear, playfully diving in formation. You might think that this was something these dolphins were trained to do in captivity, but here it was even more spectacular to see these creatures cavorting in the wild icy waters for the joy of it.

We are told by the skipper to look down into the sea where thousands of eel fish can be seen. This is what the minke whales are eating. While gazing at these snake - like fish, another minke whale swims up from under the ship, mouth open as it gathers a good meal.

Cameras click and whirr, gulls reel and the whale watchers feel like they have what they came for, and more.

Free Whale Watching Trip

It takes about 45 minutes to get to the whale feeding areas and although there are no guarantees, they say there is a 99 percent success rate in spotting at least one type. Some tour operators offer another trip free of charge if you do not see anything the first time. Other whales in the area include Orca (Killer Whale), Blue Whale, Fin Whale, Sperm Whale and Pilot Whale.

The trip lasts about 3.5 hours with a stop at Puffin Island to see the thousands of puffins. Commentary is in English and other languages.

Booking Whale Watching Trips

Ticket offices are in the Reykjavik harbour, but spaces are quickly filled so it is best to book by phone ++ 354 555 3565 or online www.elding.is

Prices for 2008 33 euros (US$48) per adult

15 euros (US$22) for a child aged 7 to 15

Children under 7 are free although it is probably not a good idea to take small children.

The season runs from April to October and the weather ranges from cold to extremely cold so wear warm clothing, hat and gloves, and a waterproof jacket. Additional warm overalls can be borrowed on board but they are uncomfortably stiff from salt air. Fish-smelling yellow rubber rain jackets are also available as well as small blankets and life jackets.

Whale Tail or Flukes

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