Elding Whale Watching

Elding Whale Watching is a family-owned company and the first to offer whale watching from Reykjavík. We specialize in guided whale watching and other adventures at sea all year round. 

We are committed to provide high quality tours in a way that minimizes the environmental impact caused by our activities. We are EarthCheck certified and our boats hold the Blue Flag. During the summer months teams of international researchers and volunteers accompany our tours, which is an important contribution to the understanding of coastally occurring cetaceans. We follow IceWhale’s codes of conduct for responsible whale watching and to ensure that the animals are not disturbed by our presence, our boats do not rush but sail at a constant speed towards their habitat. This is also a part of Elding's sustainability policy, trying to minimise the oil use and pollution. As a result, the whales often surface within a few metres from our boats!

All Elding's guests get free entry to Elding's Whale Watching Centre. On board this “floating museum”, you find information about whales, birds, marine life and the research projects conducted on board our boats. Deep within the hull of the ship, below the ocean’s waterline, you can enjoy videos of whales and see a whale's skeleton, baleen plates and more while hearing the whales’ songs echo.

Check out our online Whale Diary for daily updates on tours.

Check out our videos on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/reykjavikactivities

Months

January • February • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December

Duration

Short (1-3 hours) • Half-day (3-6 hours) • Full day (6-9 hours) • Multi-day

Vessel types

Large boat (50+ passengers) • Small boat (0-50 passengers)

Times and prices

About our skippers and naturalist guides

All members of the Elding crew are skilled and experienced. The captains have a long tradition of working on the ocean and operating vessels. Just as other crew members they are very friendly and knowledgeable of the area. Our guides, many of them marine biologists, go through extensive training based on guiding principles developed exclusively for Elding by wildlife expert Janine Eaton. The guides provide entertaining and valuable information about the wildlife and the scenery.

A successful whale watching tour is a team effort, and our crew therefore works closely together with the passengers on spotting the whales, making each tour an exciting and unforgettable experience. English is spoken during the tours, and other languages can be arranged upon requests in advance.

Facilities

Access to wheelhouse • Carbon neutral • Deck with 360?vision • Disabled access • Hands-on materials (bones, shells etc) • Naturalist guide(s) as well as skipper • On board video • On-site visitor center / museum • Onboard research • PA system • Posters / displays / maps • Public participation in research • Reading material available • Restrooms / toilets on board • Scenic backdrop to encounters • Snacks / drinks • Support conservation • Use a code of conduct

We frequently

See a whale's tail • See leaping dolphins • Watch whales and dolphins

Baleen Whales

Blue Whale • Fin Whale • Humpback Whale • Minke Whale

Toothed Whales

Killer Whale / Orca

Ocean Dolphins

White-beaked Dolphin

Porpoises

Harbour Porpoise

Other wildlife and points of interest

Blue whales, fin whales, sei whales and killer whales are sometimes seen on our tours when we have departed from other harbours in the area October 2011 has been different from other years with quite many sightings of blue whales and fin whales. Seals and basking sharks are sometimes seen and its common to see a variety of sea birds such as puffin, fulmar, arctic tern, eider, common guillemot, arctic skua, black headed gull, gannet, kittiwake, great skua, great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, shag

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