Whale Watching Daily Diary – February 16th 2026
Morning Whale Watching Tour
What an incredible day whale watching from start to finish! Calm waters, blue skies, cold but heavenly. It was one of those winter days where the air feels sharp and fresh, but the sea looks like polished glass. Perfect conditions. The kind of day you hope for but don’t always get.
The first animals we saw were a huge pod of harbour porpoises, maybe 30 or 40 of them! They were everywhere we looked. Small dark fins slicing through the surface, rolling gently as they came up to breathe before disappearing again. They were so busy hunting, they didn´t care about us, and we watched them zooming about for quite some time before we eventually left them to try and find something bigger. It is always special to see harbour porpoises in those numbers because they can be quite shy, but this group was completely focused on feeding.
Then we saw the blow of two humpback whales. That moment never gets old. Just that tall misty breath hanging in the air ahead of you. As we got closer, we could see they were surrounded by maybe 20 Northern Gannets plunging at high speed into the water around them. The gannets were circling and diving constantly, folding their wings and hitting the sea like arrows. You could actually hear the splash as they entered the water.
The humpback whales swam around feeding non stop. They barely paused between dives, not even when they needed to poop! One whale did one right in front of the boat having dived just 1 metre from us. We didn’t mind though as we know how important whale poo is to not just the ocean but the entire Earth. Whale poo fertilises the ocean, feeding plankton which helps capture carbon and supports the whole marine food chain. So even that slightly smelly moment was actually pretty amazing when you think about it.
Honestly, it was a breathtaking tour. We couldn´t have been happier. We just sat in the area with the engines in neutral and the whales kept coming to us, which is exactly what we want when we are whale watching. It is always up to the whales how close they come to us. When they choose to approach the boat it makes it even more special. They surfaced close by again and again, lifting their huge bodies through the calm water before sliding back down beneath the surface. We saw tail dives after tail dives and every single one felt like a gift.
When we came back in after the morning whale watching tour, we were already saying it could not possibly get better than that.
Afternoon Whale Watching Tour
We never thought for a second we could have improved on the morning’s whale watching
tour, but the weather remained perfect and the sea stayed flat calm. After lunch we headed out again to see what we could find, still buzzing from earlier but trying not to expect too much.
This time we found the humpback whales first. They were easy to spot because the birds gave them away. They were surrounded by even more birds than before. Maybe even 70 Northern Gannets flew around and around them. It was incredible. We could hear the constant noise of them diving down into the water at around 100 kph, mixed with the sound of the two humpback whales surfacing and breathing. Such a wonderful orchestra from nature. The splash of birds, the rush of wings, the deep exhale of whales. It felt wild and peaceful at the same time.
The whales started lunge feeding and the seagulls turned into a frenzy. The surface of the sea suddenly erupted with movement as the whales powered upwards through the bait balls with their mouths open wide. Birds were shouting, fish were scattering, and the whales just kept working their way through the area. It was such a spectacle to see.
On both tours we saw more tail dives than we could count. It was definitely the whales Apple and Banana again, and they were so close to the boats it was super memorable even for the crew who see whales all the time. When experienced crew members are grinning from ear to ear you know it is a special day.
We then headed off to see if we could find the harbour porpoises we had seen that morning, but instead we found white beaked dolphins. Including at least two calves with the pod. The adults came straight over to bow ride with us and jumped again and again next to us. They twisted and turned in the pressure wave at the front of the boat and you could see the calves staying close to the larger dolphins. What a joy. There is something about dolphins that just lifts everyone’s mood instantly.
On the way home we finally found the harbour porpoises again, bringing the day full circle. Seeing them once more felt like the perfect ending to such an extraordinary day.
Everyone stepped off the whale watching
boat smiling. Calm seas, blue skies, humpback whales feeding all around us, gannets diving from above, dolphins playing at the bow and harbour porpoises hunting peacefully. It really was one of those days that reminds us why we love what we do. Cold, yes. But completely heavenly from start to finish.
Today’s Guides: Lucky and Isabella
