We are proud to announce that North Sailing has received international certification from the World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) as a responsible whale watching operator. It’s great recognition for our pioneering work in developing responsible whale watching tours in Iceland.
“It was a fantastic trip in every way and such an enjoyable start of the season,” said Heimir Harðarson, captain at North Sailing, who went on the first whale watching trip of the year this weekend. We sailed from the harbour in Húsavík on the old oak boat Náttfari with around 20 people on board. Conditions were excellent, with mild weather and calm seas.
In a world of new challenges, it is more important than ever to act responsibly for our guests and our team’s safety. Joining the Icelandic Tourist Board project, Clean and Safe, goes without saying for us at North Sailing. It is an honour to be part of the project to safely and responsibly welcome visitors to Iceland.
Breaching humpback whales of Húsavík were the stars of the show this year when they appeared in the movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. They were also a common sight in our whale watching tours in Skjálfandi Bay, just like they have been for the last 25 years.
The other day, two of North Sailing’s boats, Náttfari and Garðar, left Húsavík harbour in beautiful autumn weather. One headed out for a whale watching tour while the other departed for a more extended whale research journey. Onboard Náttfari, travellers, were on their way to a regular three-hour whale watching trip. Despite the current restrictions,…
There is a long tradition for North Sailing to offer students of Borgarhólsskóli, Húsavík’s primary school, to autumn sailing around Skjálfandi Bay. The other day around 100 students and teachers joined us on the boats Bjössi Sör and Náttfari and sailed around the bay, spotted humpback whales and then landed in Flatey Island.
Beautiful autumn colours, fresh snow in the mountains and humpback whales on every trip. September sure is an excellent month for whale watching in Húsavík. After a great whale watching summer, Skjálfandi Bay and its surroundings are now slowly putting on their winter coat. The first fresh snow has appeared in the majestic mountains Víknafjöll and the autumn colours along the coastline add to the experience of sailing in this time of the year.
Yet another excellent summer for whale watching in Husavik. Breaching humpback whales, playful dolphins, the mighty blue whales and even killer whales. No wonder people say that Husavik is the Whale Watching Capital of Iceland! When you think of whale watching in Iceland, what place comes to mind? Yes, we thought so. Husavik – a charming little fishing village in the North of Iceland sure is the place for whale watching in Iceland.
Visiting Iceland in May? Go whale watching! Humpback whales have arrived in Húsavík, making the whale watching even more lively! Being playful creatures, Humpback whales can often be seen breaching out of the water and whirling around. It’s a real feast for the eyes!
Minimize your carbon footprint and join the electric sailboat Opal for a green whale watching of a lifetime. You have probably heard that Husavik is a great place for whale watching. But did you know that Husavik is also the only place in Iceland where you can go whale watching on a sailboat powered by green energy? These eco-friendly tours are operated by North Sailing, pioneers in sustainable tourism in Iceland.
The Whale Watching season in Húsavík, Iceland is about to start! How excited, on the scale from a Dolphin to a Blue Whale, are you? The Whale Watching season last year was fantastic in Húsavík, the Whale Watching Capital of Iceland. Passengers from all over the world had a time of their life sailing calmly close to the whales on our beautifully restored wooden oak boats.
Do you need a recommendation for attractions in Iceland during your Iceland winter travel? Here’s a must do: Whale watching on a traditional wooden fishing boat from Húsavík. Breathtaking landscape, arctic sunlight and more whales then you can fit in your camera.
It’s always spectacular when a Blue whale enters the bay. It is, after all, the largest animal on Earth. However, earlier this week was simply unreal. Not one, and not two but a staggering number of at least five Blue whales were spotted in Húsavík!
We’re always delighted to welcome to largest animal on Earth to our Bay. Spotting a Blue whale is amazing, but five Blue whales in the same tour is extraordinary. Words cannot describe the feeling when five of the world’s largest animals come up for air, gracing us with their presence. 25 meters of sheer beauty. It’s not something you see every day, and definitely one to remember!
Pilot whales are rare visitors in Húsavík. However, when they arrive, they usually arrive in large numbers. That was the case earlier this week when we had a school of over 50 Pilot whales roaming in the bay!
It’s always delighting spotting whales in Húsavík! Pilot whales are a particularly great species for that matter, as they travel in large schools of tens of individuals.
Where should you go whale watching in August in Iceland? The answer is simple, Húsavík! The great number of whales spotted all summer is a good indicator for good whale watching in August. Húsavík is rightly called the Whale Capital of Iceland. Why? Because of all the whales! Whale Watching in August in Húsavík is no different. During the high season, the probability to see whales is a staggering 98%! Although dealing with wild nature and wild weathers, whales are seen in almost every tour!
Whether you believe it or not, now’s your last chance to see puffins in Húsavík in 2018! From August 20 onwards, there will hardly be any puffins left in Iceland. Hence, you’ll have to act quick if spotting a puffin is on your bucket list! Puffins have become one of Iceland’s most famous symbols. The colorful and friendly seabird never fails to impress the beholders. Although linked to Iceland, puffins spend a majority of the year far from land in the open ocean and only visits coastal areas to breed.
This weekend, our guide on board captured an amazing footage of a breaching Humpback whale in Húsavík. While she was scouting for where it might surface, it breached all of a sudden right in front of the boat. The passengers screamed and cheered in awe as the Humpback whale breached few meters from them. One of the giants from the sea was unexpectedly half in the air.
Northern bottlenose whales spotted in Húsavík for the first time in years. It’s always a pleasant surprise when old friends pay us a visit in the Whale Capital of Iceland!
Northern bottlenose whales prefer deep waters and are therefore uncommon in Skjálfandi bay. However, we were lucky enough to spot them for two days in a row last week! The Whale Capital of Iceland is known for the many whale species found in the bay, which will hopefully continue for years to come!
Three Blue whales spotted in Skjálfandi bay last night, meaning that this largest animal on Earth has been here in Húsavík for almost a week now! Last Friday, a week ago, the first Blue whale was spotted. Now, two more Blue whales have joined the group and the trio seems to really like it here in the calm waters of Skjálfandi bay! Additionally, they really like being in the company of Humpback whales and dolphins! Luckily, there are so many whales in Húsavík so the Blue whales shouldn’t get bored!
The puffins have arrived in Húsavík! We welcome our cute and furry friends, the Atlantic Puffin, as they’ve begun migrating to the famous Puffin Island located near Húsavík! Iceland is home to 60% of the Atlantic Puffin population. In Húsavík, more than 200,000 puffins live in the nearby Puffin Island part of the year. The Puffin Island is a steep cliff, which is an ideal place for the puffins to build nests.
What is the best place in Iceland to go whale watching? There are many prominent whale watching areas in Iceland. It is possible to go whale watching in Reykjavík, Akureyri, Hauganes, Dalvík, Hjalteyri, and Húsavík to name a few. There is, however, only one Whale Watching Capital of Iceland – Húsavík! Iceland is a great place for whale watching, with over 20 whale species living in the water surrounding the Icelandic coastline.
