In our recent post we talked about the efficiency of the so-called blubber layer when it comes to keeping a whale warm while swimming in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. However, there's more to this fat layer than that it's a superb insulation against freezing temperatures.
Have you ever wondered how whales manage to survive and live in these cold waters around Iceland (and even further north!), especially now as winter is approaching and temperatures continously dropping? All marine mammals, not just whales, but also dolphins, seals, walruses have a very special fat layer, also called blubber.
As November carries on, days literally seem to flash by, one after another. Our tours continue to be great as several hungry humpback whales are still staying in the bay in search for more and more food - and therewith, delight us and our passengers day after day! While browsing the bay for food, these gentle giants tend to travel slowly, oftentimes allowing us to get some really great looks at them for a while.
Are you visiting Iceland these weeks and still scrolling through all the activities this country has to offer? Did you ever dream of watching whales in pristine nature? Well, we have good news for you: we'll be sailing for another three weeks - until the end of this month! Imagine departing the harbor as the sun is just about to rise behind the mountains, aflaming the sky and mountains in pink, orange and yellow.
Another storm has passed and as the town woke up this morning, gorgeous winter weather awaited: crisp, frosty air, a starry sky and a moon shining brightly onto the town. Then, as the sun slowly rose, a play of lights and colours commenced on the Cheek Mountains across the bay.
Whales are mammals and so they have lungs. All couple of minutes, these animals will have to breach the surface of the ocean to take several deep breaths. With each breath, whales replace up to 90% of the air in their lungs - we humans only just exchange 10-15% each time we breathe.
After years of planning, history was made yesterday morning as easyJet’s inaugural flight from London Gatwick landed in Akureyri in North Iceland. Representatives from Visit Iceland, Visit North Iceland, Isavia, local government and tourism companies celebrated the historic event and arrival of easyJet’s plane together.
Another month is about to end and along with that, also our GG2 Big Whale Safari on our RIB speed boats departs for a last time tomorrow, 31st of October. Are you dreaming of a really unique experience while discovering the treasures of Skjálfandi Bay? Our speed boats will quickly get you to where the whales are - nothing is ever too far.
These last days at sea have certainly surpassed our expectations. While it was indeed freezing cold at sea, we enjoyed some really sunny days, most beautiful lights and colours in the sky as well as on the mountains, calm seas and most importantly of course: loads of whales! While at times one could see more than one individual surface at once nearby the boat, a dozen other spouts would appear in the surrounding.
Humpback whales are generally considered solitary animals as they spend most of their lives on their own. However, they're known to be social animals regardless, which is why - with a bit of luck - one might see two or more individuals together.
