Whales and Puffins Tour from Husavik
Akureyri, Iceland
Whales and Puffins Tour from Husavik
Akureyri, Iceland
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
Overview
Hop on a vintage fishing boat for an adventure-filled, half-day wildlife tour, as you set out on the trail of puffins and whales. Get up close and personal with Iceland’s most iconic wildlife species, and get detailed background on their behavior from your captain and guide. Tours include a whale-watching excursion through Skjálfandi Bay.
- A wildlife tour with puffin colony visit and whale watching tour
- Get a chance to see whales, dolphins, and local bird species in their natural habitats
- Maximize your wildlife sightings with expert routes from your seasoned guides
- Light refreshments and warm overalls are provided for your comfort
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 91 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Anita_L, Aug 2026
We first went to Puffin Island. You don't see them up close as shown in the ad. You can see them in the water when they come close to the boat. The ones on the island are white dots on the cliff. Too much time was spent there, for what you got to see. We found some dolphins, but people were jammed up on the rail on the starboard side and the captain never turned the boat to the other side. We spent way too much time with them. Then we found some minke whales. Again the side rail was jammed, and the captain never turned the boat. I caught a brief glimpse. Then we chased down a humpback whale, which did a dive as soon as we got there. Soon we had run out of time and couldn't wait for it to resurface. The tour is probably better if you actually see whales. If I did this again, I would go on one of the RIBs. They are fast, and everyone can see from their seat.
Donald_C, Jun 2026
We got to see a Minke whale and a Humpback whale multiple times! The crew was very knowledgeable about whales and puffins
Heather_C, Apr 2025
Great experience! We got to see lots of puffins and 3 whales. Crew very knowledgeable and friendly throughout
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Heather,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback!
We are absolutely delighted to hear that you had a great experience and that you enjoyed seeing lots of puffins and 3 whales during your tour. Those sightings make for a truly memorable trip!
We also appreciate you highlighting our crew. They work hard to ensure every guest has a safe, informative, and enjoyable time, so it is fantastic to hear that you found them to be very knowledgeable and friendly throughout the trip.
Your recommendation means a lot to us. We hope to welcome you back on board for another adventure in Skjálfandi Bay sometime soon!
All the best,
Verónica.
Erica_Z, Aug 2024
It was a lovely boat ride. We saw only a few puffins on Aug 11th but we were really excited to see whales. We saw a couple of humpback whales but just the top of their back and only for a second. Nature will do what it does, that’s ok. We enjoyed our time on the water and felt warm and cozy with the overalls provided and definitely enjoyed the hot cocoa and cinnamon buns as an ending treat. I went with my 11yo daughter and her 65yo grandmother. My whole family enjoyed the tour.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your review! We are happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the tour. It is true, when going whale-watching in nature, there is never a guarantee to see a whale and some days it can be more tricky to find a whale and follow their movement pattern. But it is great to hear that you were able to observe a whale and could enjoy the experience on our boat!
We hope to welcome you again some day!
Karlis_L, Jul 2024
Everything was good! Nothing more to add. Ship is nice, crew is excelent, marinē mamals were accomodating 👍😇
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your lovely review! It is great to hear that you were happy with the experience on our boat and could enjoy the wildlife of Skjálfandi!
We hope to see you again some day here in Húsavík!!
Jos_B, Jul 2024
Nice crew, we saw 6 humpback whales and a lot of puffins, not much parking space, no clear notice of at what time we had to check in.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your review!
We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on our boat with the crew and it sounds like you had many fantastic sighting! In Húsavík, all parking is free and usually parking spots can always be found all around town, especially at the harbour. However, if it is a busy day it can be a bit tricky to find a parking spot and some old parking signs can also be misleading. Regarding the check-in time, all of our passengers receive a confirmation mail of their booking which always contains the check-in time, which is 30 minutes prior at the Ticket Office. Unfortunately, it has happened before that passengers have missed that detail in their confirmation mail. That is why we always advise our passengers to read the confirmation mail thoroughly to avoid any misunderstandings :)
Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to welcome you again some day!
Stefania_C, Jul 2024
We have seen so many puffins and whale. Amazing experience.
Whales where doing a lot of dynamic movements in the water with tale.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your review! It is fantastic that you had amazing sightings and that you enjoyed experiencing the wildlife of Skjálfandi bay! We hope to welcome you again on one of our tours :)
Greetings from Húsavík!
Kaitlyn_R, Jun 2024
Great! Saw whales, dolphins and puffins. Got info on the bay and the animals and was provided with hot chocolate. Very informative and cool experience.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your review! Wow, it sounds like you had amazing sightings! We are super happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on our tour and we would be very happy to welcome you back some day!
Greetings from Húsavík!
John_R, Jun 2024
Great trip stayed with whale over an hour and a half. Great crew. Ship was clean and comfortable. Cinnamon bun and hot chocolate great end to great day watching whales
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you so much for your wonderful email! We're thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic trip and enjoyed spending over an hour and a half with the whale. Our crew is delighted to hear your kind words. It's great to know that you found the ship clean and comfortable, and we're glad the cinnamon bun and hot chocolate added a special touch to your day. We hope to welcome you back for another whale-watching adventure soon!
Best wishes
Paulina
Baldev_S, May 2024
Weather was gorgeous. Did not expect to see any whales, would have been ok if we had not, but saw 2 humpbacks. Magic!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thank you for your lovely review! We're very happy to hear that you enjoyed the gorgeous weather and were pleasantly surprised by the sighting of two humpback whales. Nature indeed is not for granted! We hope to see you again on another adventure.
Best regards
Paulina
Nina_B, Aug 2023
We did not get close enough to "Bird Island" to see the puffins in any great detail.
And while we did see a humpback whale close to the boat, there was only the one whale and it seemed as though we and several other boats were actively pursuing it, rather than letting the whale come to us, as do the other whale tours we have been on in other countries. After a point, my husband and I felt almost as if the whale was being harassed.
Birgit_A, Aug 2023
We had a really amazing time on board! The whole crew was perfect and and our guide especially was great! We experienced a lot of great moments as we saw two humpback whales for a long time period next to our boat. It was amazing! I also enyojed watching the puffins a lot!
Maureen_R, Jul 2023
The puffins were very exciting to see. We saw a few whales, and lots of dolphins.
The crew did a great job of keeping us informed of where to look. They also were very knowledgeable on whales and puffins.
Awilda_C, Jun 2023
Amazing Experience!! We saw a total of 9 whales!! It was beautiful day and the whales were all around the boat!! A must do!!
Madhu_G, Jun 2023
Excellent experience. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the tour was spectacular. We saw 6 whales !!
Caroline_S, Jun 2023
It was a perfect, magical experience. The captain and crew were amazing and taught us so much about the area, puffins, whales, and conservation. I can’t believe how many whales we saw in a few hours! The puffins were also super cute. The amazing tour then ended with hot cocoa and a cinnamon bun.
TANYA_M, Jul 2022
We have seen a lot of puffins, which was great. We also saw some whales. We also were lucky with the weather!
Tamela_W, Jul 2022
We were looking forward to our whale & puffin tour. It was the first day in many that was sunny & calm. When we showed up for the tour, we learned it was canceled "due to sea conditions." We were told an email had been sent, but I could find no such email (not even in spam). A local learning that our tour was canceled "due to sea conditions" asked incredulously "today?". Other companies were sending out boats & even the company that canceled on us was sending out tours. Someone else said conditions were ideal (not always true) and mused aloud that there "probably weren't enough people signed up for a whale & puffin tour." I would have believed that conditions were poor many other days, but not the day we were scheduled. And not when boats were still going out throughout the time we were scheduled.
jennifer_d, Jun 2022
The tour was great. My only complaint was that our tour was switched from Husavik to Akuyeri due to weather but also we weren't able to see the puffins as planned due to this unforeseeable change. We did see two humpback whales which was very cool.
Response from Host, Jul 2022
Dear Jennifer,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write us a review.
I'm glad to hear that you were happy with the tour :)
I'm very sorry if you were not provided with the information about the lack of puffins in Hjalteyri.
Could you please send us an email with your booking details so we can take a look at your booking? :)
Thank you for the review, I wish you a wonderful week.
Kind regards,
Þórný
Alexander_M, Jun 2022
They cancelled the tour. They said due to weather, but the weather was fine. I suspect they just didn't have enough people scheduled. That is not an acceptable business practice.
Response from Host, Jul 2022
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review.
I'm sorry to hear that your tour was cancelled.
It rarely happens that we don't have enough people scheduled for our tours.
Unfortunately the weather conditions can be completely different out at sea than here in Húsavík, and sometimes we need to cancel tours due to bad sea conditions as it is not safe to go out if the waves are very high.
I'm very sorry to hear that you were not happy with our services and that you were not able to join us for a whale watching tour.
If you want to contact us, feel free to write us an email or call us anytime.
I wish you a wonderful day!
Kind regards,
Þórný
Philip_R, Apr 2022
Excellent captain and personable and knowledgeable first mate. They made sure we saw whales during our adventure. Scenery could not have been more beautiful!
Response from Host, Apr 2022
Dear Philip,
I'm very happy to hear that you had such a nice and memorable experience with us. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review.
I hope we'll see you again someday!
Kind regards,
Þórný
Laurel K, Aug 2017
This whale watching tour was the highlight of our trip! We were so lucky to see about ten whales right in the fjord, and really enjoyed seeing puffins for the first time. The tour was extremely safe, well run and the crew was great! They were so knowledgeable about all sea life and we learned so much. I did not bring my DSLR camera because I was worried about water spray, but it was a beautiful day and the water was calm so I missed an amazing opportunity to photograph these beautiful creatures. Just the chance to see Iceland from the water was totally worth the tour price. The scenery is spectacular, and Husavik is such a charming little town. I wish we had known to book accommodations there because we would have loved to linger by the harbor. I really can't recommend this tour enough!
Michel H, Aug 2016
Salsa whale watching tour was fantastic! Knowledgeable guide and determined captain. We saw a lot.
Thanks
brightseasoning, Jul 2016
Great tour! Saw many whales and were able to get quite close to one. Tour guide was great! So glad they give you those big coveralls - I didn't get cold.
Elena_L, Aug 2025
Very complete, very friendly and lively guides. The tour was extended because we found more than expected and the coffee and pasta very rich.
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Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Elena_L,
Thank you so much for the fantastic review and the high praise!
We are thrilled to hear that your Whales and Puffins Tour was very complete and that you found our guides to be kind and cheerful. Our crew loves sharing the beauty of the bay, and their enthusiasm is contagious!
It makes us especially happy that the tour was extended because you found more than expected! We always strive to give our guests the best possible wildlife experience, and extending the time to observe is often the greatest reward.
And, of course, we are glad you enjoyed the complimentary hot chocolate and cinnamon bun.
Thank you again for choosing us. We hope to welcome you back to Húsavík for another great adventure!
All the best,
Verónica.
AndresNICOLAS_L, Feb 2025
Muy buena experiencia, pudimos ver las ballenas, muy lindo espectáculo y paisaje. Recomendable para los q nos gusta la naturaleza
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Andres,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review and the great title, "Lindo espectáculo"!
We are thrilled to hear that you had a very good experience and that you were able to see the whales. They truly put on a spectacular show in the bay! It sounds like you also enjoyed the beautiful natural scenery around Húsavík.
We entirely agree: our tours are highly recommended for all those who love nature. Seeing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat is always a humbling and unforgettable experience.
Thank you again for choosing our Whales and Puffins Tour. We hope to welcome you back on board for another nature adventure someday!
All the best,
Verónica.
Olivier_D, Jun 2024
Équipage très agréable, un bateau très soucieux du bien être animal.
La guilde était super. Nous avons eu de la chance de voir 2 baleines de très très prêt. Des dauphins faisant des sauts extraordinaire. Le top
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you for your lovely review and your kind words about our crew! It seems like you had fantastic sightings and we are happy to hear that you enjoyed your whale-watching experience with us!
We hope to welcome you back in Húsavík!
Norbert_B, May 2024
Sehr freundliche und kompetente Mannschaft. Die zur Verfügung gestellten Overalls schützten in Verbindung mit der eigenen warmen Kleidung perfekt vor der Kälte. Wir sahen mehrmals einen Buckelwal beim Auf- und Abtauchen, Papageientaucher am Wasser, vier Weißschnauzendelphine und zum Abschluss einen Schweinswal. Tolles Erlebnis!
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Vielen Dank für Ihre freundliche Bewertung! Es freut uns sehr, dass Sie eine tolle Zeit hatten und unsere Mannschaft als freundlich und kompetent empfunden haben. Es ist wunderbar zu hören, dass Sie viele faszinierende Tiere in ihrer natürlichen Umgebung sehen konnten. Wir hoffen sehr, Sie bald wieder bei uns begrüßen zu dürfen!
Beste Grüße
Paulina
Pr_L, Aug 2022
Fick se både valar och delfiner på nära håll och otroligt många puffiner! Trevlig personal båda på båten och där de säljer biljetterna. Rekommenderas.
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