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Whales in Iceland: Which Species You See Whale Watching in Akureyri
Whales in Iceland are not only a summer sight: Visit Akureyri says humpback whales are seen in Eyjafjordur throughout the year, and the 3-hour Elding classic sails from Akureyri on every month of the calendar. This guide sorts the species you are likely to meet on a trip from Akureyri from the ones that are only occasional, such as blue whales and orcas. It also covers where in Iceland each one is seen, what time of year to go, how likely a sighting is and how a responsible boat behaves around the whales.
Quick answer The species you will most likely see
On a 2 to 3-hour trip from Akureyri the whale you are most likely to see is the humpback, which Visit Akureyri says is seen in Eyjafjordur throughout the year. Minke whales, white-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises are the usual supporting cast. Blue whales and orcas are occasional, never a promise.
Key takeaways
- Humpbacks all year: the Elding Classic Whale Watching from Akureyri sails 3 hours for $113 in every month
- Small boat, close to the water: the Elding RIB Express Whale Watching is 2 hours for $189
- Blue whales are a Husavik summer bonus: the North Sailing Whale Watching in Husavik is 3 hours for $80
- See every boat for whale watching in Akureyri side by side
What Kind of Whales Are in Iceland?
Perlan names humpback, minke, blue and fin whales as the four species met most often in Icelandic waters, and from Akureyri the humpback is the regular one.
A national list and a fjord list are not the same thing. The table shows how the four common Icelandic species line up with what Eyjafjordur boats actually report.
The Four Common Species, Seen From Akureyri
The table sets the four species Perlan lists as most frequent in Icelandic waters against what Visit Akureyri, Arctic Sea Tours and the Husavik Whale Museum report for Eyjafjordur and Skjalfandi Bay.
| Species | On an Akureyri trip | In Husavik | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | The main attraction, seen all year | Among the most common | The whale most trips are built around |
| Minke whale | Listed by Arctic Sea Tours | Among the most common | Smallest baleen whale here, surfaces with little warning |
| Blue whale | On occasion only | Among the most common, mainly summer | Endangered, up to 30 meters long |
| Fin whale | Not listed by fjord operators | Not on the museum's common list | One of Perlan's four, not a regular fjord sight |
Dolphins and Porpoises Count Too
White-beaked dolphins are on both the Arctic Sea Tours list and the Husavik Whale Museum list, and the museum adds harbour porpoises. On the Elding Classic Whale Watching from Akureyri the free retry ticket applies only if no whales or dolphins are seen, so a dolphin pod counts as a sighting. Gentle Giants in Husavik writes the same rule: dolphins included.
Sources: Visit Akureyri, Húsavík Whale Museum.
A humpback whale blowing in Eyjafjordur, the species seen throughout the year. Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Which Whales Do You See on a Trip From Akureyri?
Expect humpbacks first, then minke whales and white-beaked dolphins, with a blue whale or orca only on a rare day.
Eyjafjordur is one of the longest fjords in Iceland, and its boats work the same waters from Akureyri, Hauganes, Arskogssandur and Dalvik.
What the Fjord Operators List
Arctic Sea Tours, which sails the fjord from Dalvik on a 3-hour classic, lists humpback whales, white-beaked dolphins and minke whales, and blue whales or killer whales on occasion. Visit Akureyri calls humpbacks the main attraction.
From Akureyri itself the boats leave the pier by the Hof cultural centre. The Special Tours Whale Watching from Akureyri is 2.5 hours on the catamaran Lilja for $102. The Ambassador Whale Watching from Akureyri is 3 hours with a naturalist guide for $104.98. The guide on board names what surfaces, so you do not need to know a minke from a humpback before you go.
Source: Visit Akureyri.
Do Humpback Whales Leave Iceland in Winter?
Many humpbacks migrate south in autumn, but Eyjafjordur keeps humpbacks through the year, which is why Akureyri boats sail in winter.
This is the most common wrong belief about whales in Iceland, and it is only half wrong.
The National Pattern and the Fjord Exception
Perlan describes humpbacks arriving in Iceland around April to feed through the summer, then migrating south in October. That is the general pattern. Visit Akureyri says that in Eyjafjordur humpbacks are seen throughout the year.
The schedules follow the whales. The Elding Classic Whale Watching from Akureyri runs 3 hours from 1 January to 31 December. Whale Watching Hauganes, about 25 minutes from Akureyri, says it sails all year. A December trip from Akureyri is a real whale watching trip, not a scenic cruise with a slim hope.
Source: Visit Akureyri.
Can You See Orcas and Blue Whales From Akureyri?
Both are possible but occasional, so book for humpbacks and treat an orca or blue whale as luck.
Orcas and blue whales sell many Iceland trips. On Eyjafjordur they are the exception.
Orcas: Occasional in the Fjord
Arctic Sea Tours lists killer whales only as an occasional sight, and no Akureyri operator sells orcas as a regular part of the trip. If seeing an orca is the reason for your whole journey, an Akureyri tour is the wrong promise to buy. If humpbacks are enough and an orca would be a bonus, the 3-hour big boats are the right fit.
Blue Whales: A Summer Bonus, Best Odds in Husavik
Perlan calls the blue whale endangered, reaching up to 30 meters, and occasionally spotted in Skjalfandi Bay off Husavik in summer, with June a potentially rewarding month. The Husavik Whale Museum lists the blue whale among the bay's most common species, and Perlan notes the museum shows a blue whale skeleton.
Husavik is about 1 hour from Akureyri by road, or by bus 79. The Gentle Giants Whale Watching in Husavik is 3 hours for $78 and the North Sailing Whale Watching in Husavik is 3 hours for $80.
Sources: Húsavík Whale Museum, Visit Akureyri.
Tours That Fit
Humpbacks on the fjord from Akureyri, blue whale odds in Husavik.
from $113
Most booked
Elding Classic Whale Watching from Akureyri
The most-booked whale watching trip in Akureyri: 3 hours on a big ship from the Hof pier, all year, with a free retry if no whales show.
Check Availability
from $102
Cruise friendly
Special Tours Whale Watching from Akureyri
Special Tours' 2.5-hour catamaran trip on Lilja, a short walk from the cruise terminal, with a second-chance ticket.
Check Availability
from $78
Gentle Giants Whale Watching in Husavik
Gentle Giants' family-run 3-hour oak-boat trip from the Husavik harbour, with overalls and rain jackets lent.
Check AvailabilityWhere Can You See Whales in Iceland?
Whale watching boats leave Reykjavik's Old Harbour and towns in the west and north, and in the north the choice is Eyjafjordur from Akureyri or Skjalfandi Bay from Husavik.
Visit Iceland lists the Old Harbour in Reykjavik and several towns in the west and north, with Husavik a pioneer of whale watching. Around Akureyri the harbours sit at different distances from town.
Harbours Within Reach of Akureyri
The table lists the whale watching harbours near Akureyri and the drive from town, from Visit Akureyri's own figures.
| Harbour | Water | From Akureyri |
|---|---|---|
| Akureyri, pier by the Hof cultural centre | Eyjafjordur | In town |
| Hauganes | Eyjafjordur | About 25 minutes by road |
| Arskogssandur | Eyjafjordur | About 30 minutes by road |
| Husavik | Skjalfandi Bay | About 1 hour, or bus 79 |
What Changes With the Harbour
From Akureyri you walk to the boat. The 3-hour Ambassador Whale Watching from Akureyri and the 2-hour Ambassador RIB Whale Watching Express both start at the ticket office by the Oddeyrarbot pier next to Hof. Husavik adds the drive, but it is where Perlan and the Husavik Whale Museum place the blue whales.
Perlan notes humpbacks are often spotted from Faxafloi Bay in Reykjavik too, if your trip never leaves the capital.
Sources: Visit Iceland, Visit Akureyri.
White-beaked dolphins bow-riding in Eyjafjordur. Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What Time of Year Are Whales in Iceland?
Visit Iceland gives April until September as the season, and in Eyjafjordur humpbacks stay all year.
The species mix shifts with the months more than the humpbacks do.
Season by Species
Humpbacks are in the fjord in every month. Blue whales are a summer visitor, with Perlan pointing to June for Skjalfandi Bay. Gentle Giants sails from Husavik from 1 April to 30 November, so the blue whale window and its season overlap.
In summer the evening light adds a choice. The Midnight Sun Whale Watching from Akureyri is a 3-hour evening cruise for $95. Visit Iceland notes winter tours are less frequent but come with snowcapped mountains and possibly the northern lights.
Source: Visit Iceland.
How Likely Is It to See Whales in Iceland?
A sighting from Akureyri is likely but never guaranteed, and most boats give a free second trip if nothing appears.
The whales roam freely, so no operator can promise one. What they can promise is a second chance.
What Happens if the Whales Stay Away
Elding lets you try again for free in Akureyri or Reykjavik if no whales are seen. Arctic Sea Tours gives a free return ticket for another tour. Ambassador gives a free ticket valid two years on the Ambassador Whale Watching from Akureyri, at $104.98 for 3 hours. The minke is the hard one to follow: Perlan describes it as curious but unpredictable in how it surfaces, so a minke can appear by the boat and vanish for good.
Sail early in your stay. A retry ticket is only worth something if you still have a free morning.
How Does a Responsible Whale Watching Boat Behave?
It follows a code of conduct that puts the whales first, and IceWhale is the Icelandic body that sets one for its member companies.
Watching whales well is about how the boat moves, and how you behave on deck.
The IceWhale Code and Your Part
IceWhale is a platform for companies that offer whale watching tours and education in Iceland, and its partners follow a strict code of conduct. The code aims to minimise impact on whales and dolphins and keep whale watching sustainable.
On deck, keep your voice down when a whale surfaces, stay where the crew puts you and never ask the captain to get closer. A 12-seat RIB such as the Elding RIB Express Whale Watching, 2 hours for $189, carries a small group, so every passenger's behaviour counts. Visit Iceland adds that seals, puffins, gannets and arctic terns often share the water, and basking sharks appear now and then.
Source: Visit Iceland.
A male orca, a species Arctic Sea Tours reports only occasionally off North Iceland. Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Whales in Iceland: Questions
What is the most common whale in Iceland?
Perlan's list of the most frequent species starts with the humpback and the minke. In Eyjafjordur the humpback is the main attraction all year, seen on trips such as the 3-hour Elding Classic Whale Watching from Akureyri.
Can you see whales in Iceland in November?
Yes. Humpbacks stay in Eyjafjordur, the big boats from Akureyri keep sailing, and Gentle Giants runs to 30 November. The Ambassador Whale Watching from Akureyri is 3 hours with a heated cabin.
What whales do you see in Reykjavik?
Perlan says humpbacks are often spotted on shorter trips out of Faxafloi Bay in Reykjavik. In the north the same humpbacks are the main attraction of whale watching in Akureyri.
Are fin whales seen from Akureyri?
Fin whales are among Perlan's four most frequent species in Icelandic waters, but fjord operators do not list them as a regular sight. The Special Tours Whale Watching from Akureyri is built around humpbacks.
Do dolphins count as a sighting?
On several boats they do. Gentle Giants counts dolphins, and the Elding Classic Whale Watching from Akureyri gives a retry only if no whales or dolphins are seen.
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