Best whale watching in Iceland today!

We had the best whale watching in Iceland today as we left Reykjavik harbor in perfect weather on the beautiful yacht Amelia Rose.

by Lucky Byfleet

Success! The best whale watching in Iceland today with Sea Trips Reykjavik, we found harbour porpoises, white-beaked dolphins and of course incredible minke whales lunge feeding right next to the boat! We also saw lots of seabirds, such as gannets, black-legged kittiwakes, cormorants and black-backed gulls.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day as we set sail on the gorgeous superyacht Amelia Rose. The seas were flat calm and the skies clear and blue, and there was a haze in the air making everything else have an amazing bluey light, especially the distant mountains, it was almost eerie but definitely beautiful.

It is on days like this that we are sure that Iceland is the most incredible place to live, and we are so proud to show it off. The mountains all around us were outstanding as always, but today the visibility was so good that we could see over 100km away to the north, where the Snaefells peninsular sticks out, and the great Snaefells glacier could clearly be seen. The ultimate backdrop!

We set out on time, blown away by the beauty of the landscape around us, but always keeping a watchful eye for the tell-tale signs there may be cetaceans in the water. Firstly we lookout for large quantities of sea birds, or ones that are actively feeding. They feed on the same types of fish as our marine mammal friends, but as they fly high they can find them even better than us!

Secondly, we look for blows. Blows happen when a cetacean breaths out, their warm, wet breath makes a cloud of steam above them, which can reach as high as 10metres if they are a blue whale! Thirdly but by no means lastly we look for fins, we love everything with a fin, from sharks to fin whales.

There are a lot of other ways we find whales, why not have a look at this article for more information, or book a trip with us and our super friendly, enthusiastic, and professional guides will be happy to all about them. 

Today the birds are what gave away the location of whales, we headed towards the amazing sight of gannets diving at 100km down into the water. On the way, there a small pod of dolphins bow rode with us for a short time, before returning to feed. We also saw several porpoises which are always a joy, but the feeding frenzy ahead was too good to wait for so we didn’t hang around for them.

We found minke whales lunge feeding beneath the birds, it was a real Blue Planet moment! We stopped our engines and let them feed all around us, and some of the minkes came up right next to the yacht! A truly amazing experience to be part of! Everyone will remember it for aways we are sure.

People also come here to see the bewitching northern lights, and we take people out to see them, again on our lovely super yacht Amelia Rose. If you book a whale watching Iceland tour with us you can get a Northern lights trip for 50% off!  

Sea Trips Reykjavik sail everyday out from Reykjavík Harbour, Iceland. Our yacht, Amelia Rose was built as a super yacht in 2003 and as such is ever so comfortable and stable. However the seas often change here, and people are affected differently by the movement of the oceans. As such we have seasickness tablets available for free at the bar. We also have warm blankets and ponchos around the yacht for your comfort, though the inside of the ship is very warm and snug.  

If you have any more questions about our ships or the trip please get in touch or read our FAQs.

Learn more about whales here!