Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.08.2008, Síða 33

REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 12—2008 | 33
DESTINATION
Ahoy there! Grapevine clambered on board the
Ísafold for an afternoon of whale watching and
deep sea fishing. It was a mild Friday afternoon,
and after a stressful couple of days the excursion
came as a welcome escape. Not knowing what to
expect, let alone which boat of three to board, I
dashed and just made it onto Ísafold which dou-
bles up as a tour boat and angling vessel.
Eric, my charismatically salty tour guide,
wore sailor whites and a brown flat cap. He ś from
a port in Pennsylvania and his lovable New Eng-
land accent made me feel welcome as I stepped
on-board. Eric was a mix of sage and street-smart
and has done more than just sail the high seas.
Highly informative, he pointed out that there are
four types of whale that swim around these parts
– killer whale, dolphin, humpback and minke
whales – the most common type and the one we
followed on this trip.
Minke whales are calm creatures, and un-
like their brethren – the humpback and the dol-
phin – do not leap out of the ocean like circus
performers. This had a rather serene effect on the
excursion. Eric kept the loudspeaker information
to a minimum, leaving us to absorb the nature
and feeling a little less like tourists. Recently, a
group of whale watchers in Húsavík witnessed an
attack by several killer whales on a small minke
who never stood a chance and was subsequently
eaten. While it must have been a sight to behold, it
would have been out of context on today’s outing.
What we witnessed was far more peaceful.
The tour also included a 20-minute angling
session. After dipping the line for the first time, I
instantly caught a Whiting fish (similar to cod)
instantly. It was like something from the Old Testa-
ment, a miracle for my first time sea fishing. Try-
ing to repeat this, however, was a different matter.
After being asked repeatedly for the rod back, I
salvaged one more fish that was tossed back into
the ocean instead of my dinner plate.
fuRTHER INfO
www.elding.is
www.sjavarferdir.is
The Serene Act of
Watching Whales
BY MARcuS wALSH — pHoTo BY gAS
Fly and discover
/ tel. 570 3030
Air Iceland
destinations
Get your action-packed day tour brochure
at hotels, airports or any travel agent.
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