Best Húsavík Whale Watching Tour: How to Choose

• Top choice Original Big Whale Safari from US$171 Duration2 hours^[1]Rating4.73 from 1,423 reviews^[1]StopsPuffin Island, Skjálfandi^[1]CancellationFree cancellation, 24 hours^[1]GuideLive guide in English^[1] Check availability
• Big Whales & Puffin Island from US$164 Duration2 hours^[4]Rating4.83 from 1,059 reviews^[4]StopsPuffin Island, Skjálfandi^[4]CancellationFree cancellation, 24 hours^[4]GuideLive guide in English^[4] See this tour
• Family-Run Whale Watch from US$85 Duration3 hours^[2]Rating4.70 from 1,987 reviews^[2]StopsSkjálfandi^[2]CancellationFree cancellation, 24 hours^[2]GuideLive guide in English^[2] See this tour

Why Húsavík is so good for whales

Húsavík sits on the edge of Skjálfandi Bay, a broad inlet about 28 kilometers wide at its widest point and about 25 kilometers long.^[9] The bay opens onto cold northern water where whales feed through the summer, and boats reach the grounds quickly rather than steaming for hours. Commercial whale watching in Iceland began in Húsavík in 1995, so the harbour has had a long time to work out where the animals are.^[10] The town is small, with a population of roughly 2,500, which means the harbour, the museum and the baths are all within a short walk of each other.^[11]

Expectations are reasonable here. North Sailing says its Húsavík whale watching tours have had a 97% overall whale sighting success rate based on sightings in Skjálfandi Bay since 1995.^[12] The same operator notes that there is a chance to encounter up to 11 different cetacean species on its tours.^[12] Nothing is guaranteed on a single morning, and the weather decides as much as anything else, but the odds in this bay are strong. Keep your camera down at the start and watch the water instead; the blow is what gives a whale away, and a grey back can look like a wave until it moves.

Speedboat or classic boat?

Husavik whale watching tours divide into two families. Classic oak boats carry more people, have indoor seating and warm overalls, and move at a stately pace that suits families, photographers and anyone who would rather not bounce over chop. Speedboats and RIBs carry fewer passengers, sit low to the water and cover more ground, so you spend less time travelling and more time watching. The Original Big Whale Safari and Puffins by Speedboat takes 2 hours and calls at Husavik, Puffin Island and Skjálfandi.^[1]

The RIB Express boat has a comfortable cruising speed of 32 knots, which makes the run out to the feeding grounds part of the fun.^[13] A fast boat is wet and windy even on a clear day, so waterproofs matter more than fashion. If anyone in your group is unsure about a bouncy ride, ask the operator before you book; the classic boats are excellent whale platforms and often cost less. Whichever you choose, the bay, the birds and the mountains behind Húsavík are the same.

A humpback fluke against the mountains of Skjálfandi Bay

What you might see in the bay

Humpback whales are the headline act. Humpbacks found in the Northern Hemisphere reach an average length of 49 to 52 feet, and the average weight for a mature adult is 50,000 to 80,000 pounds.^[14] A whale that size moving under a small boat is a sound as much as a sight: the blow, then the long back, then the tail as it sounds. Other cetaceans pass through Skjálfandi as well, though no operator can promise a particular species on a particular sailing.

Lundey, usually called Puffin Island, is a nesting ground for around 36,500 active breeding pairs of puffins.^[15] The birds sit on the water in rafts and whirl around the cliffs in clouds, and they are endearing rather than elegant in flight. Cruise boats slow down beside the island so you can watch them from the water, and the puffins mostly ignore the audience. Sea birds are everywhere else too, from fulmars and kittiwakes to the gulls that will investigate your sandwich.

The tour booked here: Original Big Whale Safari

This is the tour booked through this site, and it is the fastest way to fit whales and puffins into one short outing. It runs for 2 hours and stops at Husavik, Puffin Island and Skjálfandi.^[1] The listing is rated 4.73 from 1,423 reviews, with Guide at 4.8, Transportation at 4.9 and Value for money at 4.5.^[1] There is a live tour guide in English, and a full refund is offered.^[1]

Prices start from US$171, and you can reserve now and pay later.^[1] Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.^[1] Starting times vary, so check availability for the date you want rather than planning around a fixed departure.^[1] Wear a thin waterproof layer, a hat and gloves; a fast open boat in the North Atlantic is cold even in high summer.

Other Húsavík whale watching tours

The Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour is the closest alternative by boat type, from US$164 for 2 hours, rated 4.83 from 1,059 reviews with Guide 4.9, Transportation 4.9 and Value for money 4.5.^[4] If you would rather have indoor seats and a slower ride, the family-run tour starts from US$85, runs 3 hours and is rated 4.70 from 1,987 reviews.^[2]

Classic boats include the guided whale watching tour from US$99, rated 4.63 from 2,958 reviews and wheelchair accessible, and the traditional tour from US$98, rated 4.62 from 2,336 reviews.^[3][16] Two more sit in the middle of the range: the whale watching tour with a guide from US$99, rated 4.63 from 2,958 reviews, and the traditional whale watching tour from US$98, rated 4.62 from 2,336 reviews.^[3][16] Local companies including North Sailing and Gentle Giants Husavik whale watching sail from the same small harbour, so you can compare ticket offices on foot.

GeoSea baths and the Whale Museum

GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths is a geothermal spa just outside Húsavík whose infinity pools are filled with seawater from geothermal boreholes kept at 38 to 39 °C year-round.^[5] The entrance ticket starts from US$60, is wheelchair accessible and is valid on the selected date, with entry at your selected time and your own pace after that.^[6] It is a fine way to warm up after a cold boat trip, and the view over the bay is the whole point.

The Húsavík Whale Museum was founded in 1997, with the aim of giving detailed and interesting information about whales and their habitat.^[17] Museum tickets are not bookable through this site, so check the museum's own opening hours before you go. Visit before your trip to learn the difference between a blow and a breach, or afterwards to look up whatever you just watched from the deck.

Practical tips for a day on the water

Layer up. In summer the average sea water temperature in Skjálfandi Bay rises to 8.8 °C, and the air over the water is colder than the town.^[8] From May through August the sun never fully sets in Iceland, peaking around the summer solstice in June, so a late departure comes home in bright light.^[7] Take sunglasses and sunscreen as well as thermals; bright water, wind and spray are a tiring combination without them.

If you are watching from land, The Whale Trail advises that one of the best ways to find marine mammals is to look for other people who are watching them, especially stopped boats.^[18] The harbour, the headland and the church steps all give a wide view of the bay. Whale watching has deeper roots here than most visitors realise: according to the Settlement Book, Garðar and Náttfari set up their winter camp in Skjálfandi Bay and built a house in Húsavík, which means the house bay.^[19] Give the water an hour, stay quiet and keep scanning.

Plan a Húsavík whale watch

1. Choose your boat

   Speedboat for speed, puffins and a shorter trip; classic boat for indoor seats, steadier decks and a lower price.

2. Pick your date

   Starting times are not fixed, so check availability for your date before you build the rest of the day around it.

3. Book with free cancellation

   Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund is offered on the Original Big Whale Safari listing.^[1]

4. Dress for the North Atlantic

   Windproof layers, a hat, gloves and flat shoes. The air over the bay is colder than the town, whatever the forecast says.

5. Plan the rest of the day

   GeoSea baths and the Whale Museum are both in town, so a morning on the water pairs well with an afternoon ashore.

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