Elding Whale Watching Reykjavik

04/09/2026

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ARE BACK! ✨

Our first cruise of the season couldn’t have started better, with flat seas, little to no wind and clear skies setting the perfect stage. After patiently waiting for darkness to fall, a faint glow appeared in the sky - and soon the Northern Lights grew brighter and brighter above Mount Esja! 💚

Book your adventure here: elding.is/NLC

01/09/2026

📣Vetraráætlun Viðeyjarferjunnar📣
Kæru gestir, takk fyrir sumarið! 1. september - 14. maí siglir Elding aðeins í Viðey frá Skarfabakka um helgar 🍁🌨

Brottför í Viðey: Lau / Sun kl. 13:15, 14:15 og 15:15
Brottför úr Viðey: Lau / Sun kl. 14:30, 15:30 og 16:30

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Dear guests, thank you for visiting Viðey Island this Summer! From 1 September to 14 May, Elding Whale Watching Reykjavik will only be sailing from Skarfabakki during the weekends 🍁🌨

Winter departures: Saturdays and Sundays 13:15, 14:15 and 15:15
Winter return ferry: Saturdays and Sundays 14:30, 15:30 and 16:30

📸Aaron C. Bullion

Menningar- og íþróttasvið Reykjavíkur

28/08/2026

What can over a decade of Whale Diaries tell us about the whales of Faxaflói bay? With over 9,285 recorded sightings over a 13 year period, the results reveal some fascinating changes.

Humpback and fin whale sightings have increased dramatically, while sightings of minke whales have remained relatively stable. At the same time, white-beaked dolphin, harbour porpoise, and orca sightings have declined over the study period.

These trends may reflect changes in the ecosystem, although the nature of whale watching data means there are important limitations to consider.

Read the full report here! 👇

In a previous post, we were trying to answer to the question "Where is the whale?".It is now time to discuss about the other main question in ecology and conservation "How many?".The bay of Reykjavik is one of the main whale watching areas in Iceland. Our vessels leave the harbour daily with passeng...

14/08/2026

The Reykjavík puffin season is soon coming to an end! In just a few days, our darling puffins will begin heading out to sea, one by one, as they leave Iceland for the winter.

It’s always a little bittersweet to say goodbye, but we’ll be looking forward to welcoming them back next summer. Until then, we’ll make the most of these final days on the water and enjoy every last sighting.

Come join us for one final puffin adventure of 2026 - elding.is/tours/puffin-watching
Photos by naturalists Lefteris & Sigrún ✨

07/08/2026

🐋 WHALE OF THE MONTH 🐋

Despite some challenging weather conditions, July brought some amazing humpback whale sightings in Faxaflói bay, with 47 different individuals identified, and our busiest day bringing an impressive 12 unique flukeprints!

We were happy to welcome back some familiar faces, including Halfandhalf, who was our most frequently sighted whale of the month, as well as our old friends, Tattoo and Canvas!

But the star of July was definitely Þröstur (named after one of our engineers), who was first sighted in 2015, and is back for the 11th year in a row, setting a new record in our catalogues!

Make sure to follow us for August's humpback highlights! 🤩

05/08/2026

On yesterday's 15:00 Classic Whale Watching tour, we were waiting for a humpback whale to reappear when it suddenly breached right beside the boat. It happened so close that fitting the entire whale into the frame was nearly impossible! 🤩

"Completely out of nowhere, the whale launched itself out of the water in a spectacular breach. So close to our boat that it stopped our hearts for a second. No one expected it. The enormous splash, the sheer power of such a massive animal through the air. The whale gave us 18 breaches. An absolutely incredible display!"

Photos by naturalist Matteo and report by naturalist Maria ✨
Read more: elding.is/whale-diary/tuesday-4-august-2026

03/08/2026

Experience Reykjavík in a whole new light with our Midnight Sun Whale Watching tours! 🌅🐋

There's something truly special about being out in the bay as the evening sun casts a golden glow across the water. Combined with the chance to encounter whales, dolphins and seabirds in their natural habitat, it's an unforgettable way to spend a summer evening in Iceland.

Daily departures at 19:30 through August 2026 - elding.is/midnight-sun
Photos by naturalists Matteo, Aleks, Orsi & Bárður ✨

27/07/2026

We've witnessed an impressive number of bubble net feedings in Faxaflói bay in the past few weeks. This remarkable cooperative feeding strategy was once rarely seen in Icelandic waters, but has become increasingly observed among humpback whales in recent years.

Watching these animals work together is a powerful reminder of the complexity and intelligence of the whales that visit our waters. With plenty of food available in the bay, they are certainly making the most of their summer feeding grounds!

Photos by naturalists Eline, Frida, Janiek, Knut, Lefteris, Maja, Matteo, Milla & Orsi 🤩

12/07/2026

🐋 WHALE OF THE MONTH 🐋

June offered some amazing encounters with an impressive 45 different humpback whales identified (including 11 new individuals shared to HappyWhale), and our busiest day seeing an astonishing 13 unique flukeprints!

We were also excited to welcome back familiar faces such as Davy Jones II, who is coming back to the area for the 7th (!!) consecutive summer, and Ekki, who has become a show-off in recent years!

The star of this month was definitely MN0103829, who got the title most observed whale in June. It still needs a nickname in our catalogues, so feel free to comment your suggestion below and stay tuned for July's humpback highlights! 🤩