16. nóvember 2016
By Hjördís Jónsdóttir
On a beautiful august day this year, me and my boys (14 and 9 years old) went whale watching in Reykjavík. It was a sunny but rather chilly day so we put on some warm clothes and drove downtown to Reykjavík Harbour. We wanted to spend some quality family time together and experience something together that none of us had tried before.
Whale watching in ReykjavíkThere are several options to choose from if you are thinking about going whale watching in Reykjavík. Companies that offer different experiences in searching for whales. They differ in types of boats they sail or the length of the tour. When travelling with children you should check out what tours are the best for you and the age of the children you are traveling with.
We had decided to sail with one of the several companies that offer whale watching in Reykjavík, Reykjavík sailors.
On their website they state that “All the year around you'll be able to see a variety of whales by the coast, from the minke and humpback whales to white beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises. The high peak season for whale watching is from April to October, but of course the ocean is always full of adventures. You can see all the other aquatic species, all sorts of wildlife and at the same time enjoy the splendid scenery around the coast of Iceland. “
When we arrived at the boat a friendly tour guide welcomed us aboard. He told us about the safety on board and offered us some warm clothes to borrow. We had already dressed in our our warmest jackets with hats, scarves and gloves and did not need that at this time. However it was nice to know that you could borrow something if you got cold.
There were some young children on the boat and they all got life vests and did seem to enjoy the tour very much. Since you could both sit outside and enjoy the view but also go inside and watch out of the window, that made it comfortable for people.
Our tour was around 3 hours and we did see some mink whales and the tour guides where very alert and told us where they had spotted them in the distance. We enjoyed the excitement that the possibility of spotting a whale gave us.
Just experiencing sailing was wonderful and we came back full of energy from the salty sea and the brisk wind. This was a good way for us to enjoy an afternoon and make some unforgettable memories together.