From Iceland — The Serene Act of Watching Whales

The Serene Act of Watching Whales

Published August 18, 2008

Photo by
GAS

Ahoy there! Grapevine clambered on board the Ísafold for an afternoon of whale watching and deep sea fishing. It was a mild Friday afternoon, and after a stressful couple of days the excursion came as a welcome escape. Not knowing what to expect, let alone which boat of three to board, I dashed and just made it onto Ísafold which doubles up as a tour boat and angling vessel.
    Eric, my charismatically salty tour guide, wore sailor whites and a brown flat cap. He´s from a port in Pennsylvania and his lovable New England accent made me feel welcome as I stepped on-board. Eric was a mix of sage and street-smart and has done more than just sail the high seas. Highly informative, he pointed out that there are four types of whale that swim around these parts – killer whale, dolphin, humpback and minke whales – the most common type and the one we followed on this trip.
    Minke whales are calm creatures, and unlike their brethren – the humpback and the dolphin – do not leap out of the ocean like circus performers. This had a rather serene effect on the excursion. Eric kept the loudspeaker information to a minimum, leaving us to absorb the nature and feeling a little less like tourists. Recently, a group of whale watchers in Húsavík witnessed an attack by several killer whales on a small minke who never stood a chance and was subsequently eaten. While it must have been a sight to behold, it would have been out of context on today’s outing. What we witnessed was far more peaceful.
    The tour also included a 20-minute angling session. After dipping the line for the first time, I caught a Whiting fish (similar to cod) instantly. It was like something from the Old Testament, a miracle for my first time sea fishing. Trying to repeat this, however, was a different matter. After being asked repeatedly for the rod back, I salvaged one more fish that was tossed back into the ocean instead of onto my dinner plate.

Further info
www.elding.is
www.sjavarferdir.is

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