The first scheduled whale-watching tours in the whole of Iceland started here, in the mid-90s, following requests by passing tourists. Since then, the industry has boomed and made Húsavík a household name, often branded ‘The Whale Capital of Iceland‘.
Altogether, 23 species of whale have been spotted in Icelandic waters. The most typical visitors to Skjálfandi Bay are humpback, minke, white-beaked dolphin, harbour porpoise and blue whale. Here is a list of all species that have been potted in the bay.
Due to their playful nature and incredible acrobatic displays humpback whales are amongst the most entertaining animals to watch at sea. Lucky whale watchers here can see them feeding, breaching (jumping out), slapping (slapping their flippers against the water) or spyhopping (poking their head above the water to see what’s near).
Another frequent visitor to the bay is the blue whale, the largest known animal ever to have existed on Earth. Its tongue alone can weigh the same as an elephant, and its heart the same as a car.
To see these creatures in the wild is truly breath-taking.