Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.06.2011, Side 35

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“We caught a glance of a large whale. Seeing the dorsal
fin made my hair stand on
end. There is something really
exciting about seeing such
large animals in their natural
habitat, something that can
barely be described
35
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 8 — 2011
Words
Marta Bardón
Photography
Hvalreki
Travel | Whales
YOU’LL KNOW WHEN YOU SEE IT
To many, no visit to Iceland is com-
plete without a whale-watching trip.
Few places offer a better opportunity
to view the largest sea mammals on
the planet. While tours out of Húsavík
in northern Iceland are reportedly the
best, the tours operated out of Reyk-
javík also provide fine whale watch-
ing.
In hopes of seeing the huge ceta-
ceans, The Grapevine headed down
to the harbour to catch Elding’s 13:00
tour. Camera in hand, we climbed
aboard their red and white boat,
which had several floors to accom-
modate passengers comfortably. Af-
ter we had been briefed with safety
instructions, they gave us equipment
and waterproof coats so that we
wouldn’t catch a cold.
While some stayed outside on
the deck, others preferred to stay in-
side with a cup of coffee in the cosy
cafeteria. We briefly dipped in to
check it out and had a nice chat with
the friendly waitress who was very
knowledgeable about whales.
SOME FLY
Then the boat set sail, gradually pick-
ing up speed. The air blew fiercely
against us as we steered into the
waves. An enthusiastic tour guide
began telling us about the different
types of whales and birds that we
could expect to see. The tour guide’s
voice travelled throughout the vessel
thanks to the strategically located
loudspeakers.
She told us about puffins, which
are the most common birds in Ice-
land. There are approximately 10 mil-
lion of them in and around the coun-
try. Vestmannaeyjar, an island off
the south coast of mainland Iceland,
boasts the largest puffin colony in the
world. During the tour we saw one
that raced away in front of the boat
as we gained on it. While the puffin’s
movement seemed dizzy and over-
whelming, some of our fellow pas-
sengers thought it was endearing. In
addition to the puffin, we also spotted
and learned about numerous species
of birds that migrate from the Arctic
to the Antarctica, a 22.000 km jour-
ney that takes three months of flying.
Amazing!
After fifteen minutes of navigat-
ing through the Arctic waters, pas-
sengers were filled with admiration
over the breathtaking view that sur-
rounded us. When a snow-capped
mountain range appeared on the ho-
rizon, everyone at once took out their
cameras to capture the scene. In the
distance, we could also see Esja, the
mountain range seen across the har-
bour from Reykjavík. We could even
see the town of Akranes (pop. 6549).
OTHERS SWIM
As we went further out to sea, the
guide proceeded to explain the sys-
tem they use to notify us of a whale
sighting. The announcement is made
by the cry of an hour. The ship be-
comes a clock in which the bow is 12
and the stern is 6. The guide also told
us to keep our nostrils close, for the
whale’s breath is repulsive. So, if dur-
ing the voyage, someone begins to
feel nauseated by a very unpleasant
smell, it’s probably not a nearby pas-
senger, but a whale!
However, for the seasick prone,
the company also offers special
vomit bags. This can definitely come
in handy when making attempts at
whale-watching in rough seas.
Despite the freezing cold and
the fact that there were more whale
watching boats around us than
whales, some passengers were re-
luctant to leave the deck. Every sin-
gle moment contains the possibility
of spotting a whale. Regardless of
the whales letting us down this time
around, we still left the boat with lots
of new knowledge about birds, differ-
ent whales and their stories.
5 O’CLOCK! A WHALE!
As the boat rocked violently some
laughed while others were visibly
scared. Then excitement took over
when someone yelled suddenly…
“5 o’clock!”. We caught a glance of
a large whale. Seeing the dorsal fin
made my hair stand on end. There is
something really exciting about see-
ing such large animals in their natural
habitat, something that can barely be
described. You’ll know when you see
it.
Thus, in the end, we acquired new
knowledge, a new perspective of
the city of Reykjavík and even saw a
whale!
Trip provided by Elding Whale Watching. Book your trip at www.elding.is or call +354-5553565
Whale-watching in Reykjavík