Elding hvalaskoðun Akureyri - Akureyri

Thorhallur H.

Meiri háttar upplifun og magnaðar ferðir. Mæli hiklaust með þeim.

Lilja S.

Geggjuð ferð með rib bát á föstudagsmorgni. Sáum hvali og skemmtum okkur konunglega.
Starsfólkið var frábært og voru þau með flotta og góða leiðsögn. Takk kærlega fyrir mig.

Hörður H.

Flottar og magnaðar ferðir 😂😆

Hugo K.

Insanely good. Well arranged tour, well maintained, equipped, and clean boat with plenty of places to seat and stand. The tour guide was knowledgeable AND fun. And, of course, you get to see whales, depending on your luck even repeatedly. Absolutely worth the price, not to be missed and definitely a reason to justify coming all the way to Akureyri

CatchingKato

We didn't see any whales on our trip and therefore were given a voucher for a second trip, in either location, valid for 2 years. So we did the trip twice; once in Akureyri and once in Reykjavik.

In comparing the two trips (not the whales but the tour operators), I have to say that the experience in Reykjavik was far better.

The guide was difficult to understand (sound quality?) and was not as thorough in his explanations compared to the guides in Reykjavik.

They have coffee and basic drinks available for purchase. Was the crappiest latte I'd ever had. Also why not at least offer hot tea or coffee for free?

These are the main reasons for the lower stars. Boat was nice with suits available for warmth!

All said, the harbor is absolutely beautiful and a hot spring fed waterfall is fun to see from the boat!

Mattia R.

Siamo rimasti entusiasti e pienamente soddisfatti di questa avventura alla ricerca delle balene: sono state ore ricche di emozioni, con questi magnifici animali che danzavano attorno a noi nel silenzio suggestivo del fiordo.
La guida a bordo è stata molto gentile e preparata, condividendo con noi tante informazioni interessanti sulle abitudini delle balene e sull’ecosistema locale.
A bordo c’è una macchina del caffè che offre anche cioccolata calda, disponibile in modalità self-service (e si può fare il bis!). La barca è dotata anche di bagno e posti a sedere, utilissimi soprattutto al ritorno se il vento si fa troppo forte e freddo.
Un consiglio pratico: presentatevi al punto d’incontro con 15-20 minuti di anticipo per fare il check-in con calma. Una volta a bordo, se ve la sentite, prendete posto a poppa: il vento sarà sicuramente più intenso e vi servirà l’equipaggiamento giusto per coprirsi, ma la vista sul fiordo da lì è impagabile.
Esperienza consigliatissima, un ricordo che porteremo nel cuore!

Αντώνης ?.

The experience is unique. The crew was very helpful and constantly gave us information about the area and the whales. The captain managed to spot several whales and we saw their fins hitting the sea and their tails when they dived. Unfortunately we didn't see them up close. Even though we went in early July, warm clothes and a hat are needed.

K B.

I’d definitely do this “classic whale watching tour” again, as it is very good. The double-hulled larger ship is comfortable, with seats outside on the top deck and comfortable padded chairs on the lower deck. A small bar sells soft drinks, snacks, and beer. The restrooms were easy to access and clean. The ship has wifi included with the trip.
The tour takes about three hours, sailing north from Akureyri in the Eyjafjordur to about even with the small village of Hjalteyri, where there’s an old herring processing plant and an orange lighthouse tower.
The sailing offers fine views of the lovely agricultural countryside along the fjord and the stunning mountains with snow.
I had a good view of a humpback whale and minke whale, though wildlife sightings aren’t guaranteed, of course.
Two things keep me from giving this 5 stars. The interior compartment on the lower deck sucks in some diesel exhaust from the rear engines throughout the cruise. That could be avoided by opening a door or window near the bar just a bit to create positive airflow from the front to the back.
Also, the narration was a mixed bag. I liked how she wasn’t too loud and how she didn’t talk the entire cruise. We didn’t see whales until about 2 hours into the cruise, and I didn’t like the ‘filler’ material, such as a Viking legend, or stuff about whales that you can read online. I’d rather just have a few comments about the landscape that we see.
The narrator also missed an opportunity to comment on other wildlife: unusual birds (to the tourists). She mentioned the northern fulmar, but not the large flock of whooper swans, nor the nesting colony of black-legged kittiwakes by the waterfall we sailed next to at the start of the cruise.
Overall, though, this is a great way to spend an afternoon, and a very well ran wildlife viewing cruise, with a friendly and helpful crew.