Some 50 humpback whales have cavorted with whale watching boats off the coast of Reykjanes in southwest Iceland in the past week, and one of these encounters was captured on video.
Ari Steinarsson, the managing director of Reykjavik Sailors, told RÚV that this number of humpbacks has not been spotted in Icelandic waters in a long time, and it is especially rare to see so many in one place.
The above video was taken by Reykjavík Sailors at the harbour of Sandgerði, an Icelandic village situated at the westernmost tip of the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland. Chapelin fishing boats have been particularly busy lately in the waters around the area, and it is suspected that the fish is what is attracting the humpbacks.
Humpback whales are not a rare sight in Iceland, although certainly uncommon. When they do appear, they have been known to display playful behaviour with humans. This is perhaps because we do not hunt humpbacks, despite the wishes of some in the industry.
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