On our second day in Akureyri we decided to take a whale tour out through the fjord. The weather was gorgeous, the water was crystal clear with a beautiful shade of blue and almost glassy. We opted for the slower boat which was considerably less expensive than the IRB faster boat, plus we believed it would be a lot warmer.
We took a midday 3 hour tour and fortunately for us that day, there were very few people on board. The company and the commentary were excellent. We cruised up the fjord for about an hour, at which time we saw the first signs of some whales in the distance. As we were leaving, the whales seemed to appear on queue to give us a farewell performance.
On this cruise we only came across Humpback whales who were out for a cruise. They would glide through the water and then dive deep only to appear about 5 to 10 minutes later.
In Grundarfjörður (the peninsula) we took another whale tour with Láki tours in search of Orca whales. Unfortunately we didn't see any Orcas, but came across Mink whales, Pilot whales and the White-beaked dolphin. We followed these whales for several hours. At one point, we were surrounded by about 200 Pilot whales casually gliding through the water. Láki tours were fantastic and provided a lovely afternoon at sea.
We saw many patches on our way out to sea of these enormous amounts of fish in the water when cruising at Grundarfjörður.
The first sighting of whales in the distance at Akureyri.
As we got a bit closer and zoomed in, we could confirm the whales in the distance.
Akureyri - the whales were happy cruising along the fjord.
And then they would dive deep as we approached them.
The Fjord at Akureyri.
Another whale watching tour on the fjord.
The Humpback whale on the fjord.
A group of whales enjoying the beautiful clear water.
Grundarfjörður - the whales were having a great time gliding through the water.
Grundarfjörður - Pilot whales.
