Sail out of Europe's self-declared whale capital aboard a traditional oak schooner. An on-board marine biologist from the University of Akureyri identifies species in real time while you warm up with hot chocolate and cinnamon cookies.
Rating
4.9 / 5.0
Languages
English, Icelandic, German
Location
Húsavík harbour
Difficulty
Easy
3-Day Forecast
Meet at the Norðurljós Guides kiosk on the main pier. Boarding briefing and warm flotation suits handed out.
30-minute sail to the outer bay. Your biologist starts scanning with binoculars and shares the species field guide.
Most trips see their first humpback or minke around the 30-minute mark. The skipper positions the schooner at legal distance and kills the engine so you can hear the blows.
A 20-minute detour past Lundey island, home to ~100,000 breeding pairs of Atlantic puffins.
Dock back at Húsavík. Your biologist emails you a list of every individual whale identified on the trip, cross-referenced with the research database.
We provide gear for your comfort and safety where required:
This tour is suitable for most fitness levels:
The schooner is stable but Skjálfandi Bay can still get swell of 1–2 m on windy days. If you are prone to sea sickness, take tablets 30 minutes before boarding — we carry spares at the harbour kiosk. Children 4+ are welcome; under-8s travel with a parent on the safety benches. Our cetacean sighting rate is 95%+ over the last five seasons; if we see nothing you get a free rebook voucher.
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