Whale watching in Iceland

The biggest whales also play a huge role in capturing planet-warming carbon from the atmosphere. Before their numbers were decimated by whaling, they would have stored 1.7 billion tons of CO₂ a year, sinking it into bottom of the ocean when they died naturally. Meanwhile, whale droppings fertilise phytoplankton – a type of plankton that absorbs carbon and produces half the oxygen in our atmosphere.

Whale watching tours in Iceland set out to see these big whales: the minke, humpback, fin and blue whales, as well as the orcas (killer whales) that glide through the North Atlantic Ocean to feed on fish, seals and crustaceans. Experienced ship’s captains and guides are key. They’ll get great wildlife viewings from a respectful distance and reveal all about these complex and characterful cetaceans.

Despite the popularity of whale watching, the threat of whale hunting returning to Iceland is always present. Even after three lousy years in a row, the Icelandic government still gives out hunting quotas and subsidies to the one remaining whaling company. It’s still one of only three countries in the world that kills whales commercially, almost proudly rebelling against the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 ban on hunting whales.

Whale watching holidays in Iceland could be the thing that finishes off whaling in Iceland. Keep reading to discover what tours are like, which whales you’ll see and when and where to go whale watching in Iceland.

You’re most likely to see minke whales in Iceland. Some years, over 40,000 minke come searching for sand eel, crustaceans and cod. Although the smallest whales in Icelandic waters, they’re still about the size of a bus. You’re also most likely to see minke whales on tourist menus in Reykjavik, where whale meat is passed off as a traditional Icelandic food. But don’t be fooled into trying it – it just gives the government a reason to keep handing out whaling quotas. The first whaling stations in Iceland were set up by Basque whalers for profit, not food, and these days less than three percent of Icelanders eat whale meat regularly.

Killer whales are technically the largest sibling in the dolphin family. They’re big travellers, rambling far and wide at speed, so they can be trickier to spot than other whales. You’re most likely to see them in winter in West Iceland, herding fish into the bays of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. They’re not easily forgotten, either – travel with an expert guide who can decode their family dramas and whip-smart hunting techniques.

Orcas triggered a surge in interest in whale watching in the late 1990s. Keiko, the star of Free Willy, was captured from Iceland in 1979 and released in 2002 after a successful campaign from the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP). Despite dying a year later from a virus, his rescue from a tiny aquarium is considered a success. Keiko had already outlived most captive orcas and spent his last year hunting, feeding and interacting with wild orcas for the first time since he was a baby.

Before it starred in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Husavik was more famous for being the centre of Iceland’s whale watching trips. From here, small inflatable RIB boats head out to see the humpbacks, minke and orca that like to feed in this north-easterly corner of Iceland. A mix of nutrient-rich waters, long summer days and expert whale watching skippers make it the place where you’re most likely to see whales in Iceland.

Visit the Husavik Whale Museum to marvel over the 25m-long blue whale skeleton – one of 11 whales here that died from natural causes. There’s also a sanitised history exhibit of whaling in Iceland that’s best taken with a hefty pinch of salt.

The Westfjords erupt from the north-west corner of Iceland, where bays such as Steingrimsfjordur attract acrobatic humpbacks. There’s also a chance of seeing whales from land, thanks to the fjords that slice deeply into almost every inch of this little-visited peninsula. Most boats base themselves in Isafjordur, where you can also go hiking between roadless mountains and kayaking beneath puffin cliffs.

The Iceland whale watching season is in summer, between early May and September. The waters warm, boosting krill and fish populations, plus there’s calmer weather and longer daylight hours. The midnight sun hangs in the sky between mid-May and mid-August in the north, while in September you’ve got a chance of catching the Northern Lights as the skies darken.

Killer whales (orca) go where the herring go, so their movements are more unpredictable – or non-existent if the herring head for Norway instead of Iceland. You’re most likely to see them between March and June.