Private Whale Watching Husavik: Speedboat Safari and Puffin Island

• Top choice Original Big Whale Safari from US$171 Duration2 hours^[1]Rating4.73 from 1,423 reviews^[1]GuideLive guide in English^[1]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours^[1] Check availability
• Big Whales & Puffin Island from US$164 Duration2 hours^[7]Rating4.83 from 1,059 reviews^[7]GuideLive guide in English^[7]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours^[7] See this tour
• Whale Watching with Guide from US$99 Duration3 hours^[4]Rating4.63 from 2,958 reviews^[4]GuideLive guide in English^[4]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours^[4] See this tour

Why whale watching began in Húsavík

Commercial whale watching in Iceland began in Húsavík in 1995, and the town has been a whale port ever since.^[9] Roughly 2,500 people live here on the shore of Skjálfandi Bay, a bay about 28 kilometers wide at its widest point and about 25 kilometers long.^[10][11] Boats leave from a small harbour in the middle of town, so a morning on the water fits easily into a longer drive around the north.

The water is why the whales come. Cold currents from the north meet a shallower shelf here, and in summer the bay turns into a feeding ground where humpbacks, minkes, white-beaked dolphins and porpoises work the surface. The town's name means the house bay, and the Settlement Book records Garðar and Náttfari building a house in Húsavík after setting up their winter camp in Skjálfandi Bay.^[12]

The geography helps when you plan. The harbour sits within walking distance of the main street, the cafés and the whale museum, so you do not need a car between a boat trip and lunch. In midsummer the light lasts and lasts, and a later departure is no hardship at all.

What going private changes

A private boat tour in Húsavík means the boat is yours. Your group sets the pace, your questions shape the commentary, and you can stay with an animal for as long as it stays near the surface. That suits photographers with long lenses, families with small children, and anyone who would rather not share a deck with strangers.

The trade-off is planning. Private charters are arranged directly with operators, and the cost depends on how many of you travel together, so a boat filled with your own group is a different proposition from two people booking it alone. Ask what happens if the weather turns, how long the trip is likely to run, and whether the skipper is happy to adapt the route.

Scheduled safaris work differently. They run to a fixed timetable, carry a mix of travellers and spread the cost across everyone on board. That is the simpler route when your trip already has a schedule of its own, and it turns a whale watching day into something you can book in a couple of minutes.

Overalls, gloves and a windproof layer on Skjálfandi Bay.

The speedboat safari from Húsavík harbour

The Original Big Whale Safari & Puffins by Speedboat runs for 2 hours, starting in Húsavík and calling at Puffin Island and Skjálfandi, with a live guide in English on board.^[1] Fares start at from US$171, the listing is rated 4.73 from 1,423 reviews, and the scores for guide, transportation and value for money are 4.8, 4.9 and 4.5.^[1]

Speed matters when your time in the north is short. A fast boat covers more water, reaches the puffin colony quickly and puts you back on the pier with the rest of the day still ahead of you. It is also an open, breezy ride, so dress for spray and take the overalls the crew offers.

Another speedboat option runs from the same harbour: the Big Whales and Puffin Island Speedboat Tour also takes 2 hours and starts at from US$164, with guide and transportation both scoring 4.9.^[7] Other boats offer a 3 hour whale watching tour from the same harbour.^[2][4]

Puffins at Lundey, the puffin island

Lundey, the low island the boats call Puffin Island, is a nesting ground for around 36,500 active breeding pairs of puffins.^[5] In summer the birds raft on the water in loose flocks and wheel around the island, and a boat can hold station offshore while everyone watches.

The puffins nest in burrows dug into the turf, so the closest views come with patience and a decent zoom rather than a close approach. Keep a respectful distance, let the colony get on with its short season, and enjoy the noise and the comedy of the take-offs.

The combined safaris put Puffin Island and Skjálfandi on the same route as the whale grounds.^[1] Whichever boat you pick, bring binoculars; they turn a distant raft of birds into something worth watching.

Which whales you might meet in Skjálfandi

North Sailing says there is a chance to encounter up to 11 different cetacean species on its tours, and it reports a 97% overall whale sighting success rate based on sightings in Skjálfandi Bay since 1995.^[13] Humpbacks are the animal most people hope for, and a Northern Hemisphere humpback averages 49 to 52 feet long, with mature adults weighing 50,000 to 80,000 pounds.^[14]

Watch for signs rather than whole animals: a blow in the distance, a slick of flat water where a whale has just surfaced, a tail lifted before a long dive. From land, one of the best ways to find marine mammals is to look for boats, especially stopped ones, and for the other people watching them.^[8]

Different species behave differently, and that shapes what you see. Some whales show a high, bushy blow and roll at the surface; others barely break it. A guide who knows the bay reads those clues, and the speedboat safari carries a live guide in English.^[1]

Water temperature and what to wear

In summer the average sea water temperature in Skjálfandi Bay rises to 8.8 C.^[6] That is bracing rather than swimmable, and wind on an open boat makes it feel colder still. Overalls, gloves and a hat are not overkill; they are the difference between a comfortable two hours and a cold one, even on a bright afternoon.

Pack sunglasses as well as gloves, because low sun over water is hard on the eyes. A dry bag for phone and camera, a spare memory card and a warm layer to change into at the harbour all earn their place in your day bag.

Seasickness is worth thinking about before you step aboard. If you know you are prone to it, say so when you book, ask what the forecast looks like, and choose a shorter trip if you are unsure. The original safari keeps the exposure to 2 hours.^[1]

The rest of your day in Húsavík

The Húsavík Whale Museum was founded in 1997, with the aim of giving detailed and interesting information about whales and their habitat.^[15] Museum tickets are not bookable through this site, so check the museum's own opening hours. It is a useful primer before a boat trip and a good wet-weather stop.

GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths sits on the Húsavíkurhöfði peninsula just outside town, with infinity pools filled from geothermal boreholes kept at 38 to 39 °C year-round, and entry starts at from US$60.^[16][17] After a cold morning on the water, that is a fine way to finish the day.

Finally, plan around the light. From May through August the sun never fully sets and the nights stay bright right across Iceland; a late evening in town is still daylight.^[3] In winter the town goes quiet, and the museum and the baths carry the day.

How to plan your trip

1. Decide how private you need it

   A private charter puts the whole boat at your group's disposal. If that is the point of the day, ask what a full-boat booking involves before you compare prices.

2. Compare the listed from prices

   Four listed options start at from US$85, from US$98, from US$164 and from US$171.^{[1][2][7][18]}

3. Pick a trip length that fits

   The speedboat safaris take 2 hours^[1] and the other boat tours take 3 hours^[4]. Match that to your drive and your dinner.

4. Dress for cold spray

   Summer sea water averages 8.8 C.^[6] Add a hat, gloves and a waterproof outer layer, plus a spare warm top for the harbour.

5. Keep the evening for a soak

   GeoSea's pools hold seawater at 38 to 39 °C year-round and entry starts at from US$60.^[16][17]

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