I walked down to the dock; but nobody was there — so I used the gangway to board the boat. A few minutes later, I was asked by an employee of the operator of the boat to disembark, as they were not ready yet for passengers to board. Moments after that, the boarding process began. Two guides, four researchers, and approximately a dozen passengers boarded the boat — which can accommodate up to 90 people — and the time of departure at 7:30 in the evening occurred soon after.
Whale Watching Out on Skjálfandi Bay in Iceland
Insulated suits were offered to anyone who wanted to wear them while out on the open waters of Skjálfandi Bay off the coast of the town of Húsavík, which is known as the whale capital of Iceland.
The vessel — which was named Náttfari — was built in Stykkishólmur in west Iceland in 1965; and it is typical of Icelandic herring boats used in the 1960s and 1970s. The 57 gross ton boat was later used for trawling, net fishing, and line fishing until 1990, when it was decommissioned and basically left to rot at the docks in Reyðafjörður fjord in east Iceland. Náttfari was purchased by the North Sailing Húsavík Whale Watching company in 1998; and it was meticulously restored.
One more view of the town from the dock prior to departure. The buildings were colorful; but not ostentatious.
As the vessel departed from its dock, we were treated to more picturesque views of the town of Húsavík as announcements were broadcast to passengers.
On the right side of the photograph shown above is Húsavíkurkirkja, which is a wooden church that was built in 1907 and is considered to be a landmark in the center of town.
Other seagoing vessels lazily bobbed up and down slightly as Náttfari passed by, leaving behind a minor wake in Skjálfandi Bay.
The door to the entrance to go below deck aboard the vessel was open; and it was near the ladder…
…which reached up to the crow’s nest of Náttfari. I do not recall anyone using it at all during the entire excursion — probably because the vessel was not crowded, which was one unexpectedly welcome surprise.
Two other unexpectedly welcome surprises for me was just how calm was the sea and the wind — and that the air did not feel all that cold. In fact, the weather conditions were rather pleasant and comfortable.
The majestic mountains of the Víknafjöll range and the Kinnarfjöll range are usually covered with snow; and the evening sunlight accentuated some breathtaking scenery.
Four scientific researchers — armed with cameras — scout the waters from the upper deck of the vessel as the passengers have plenty of room to wander about while simultaneously enjoying the views in all directions.
This photograph was taken after 8:00 in the evening. I am not sure that the sun ever did set that evening, as it was still shining low in the sky after 11:00.
This island is known as Puffin Island, which is named for the sea birds that inhabit the island. The boat passed too far away to get close enough to see the birds with the colorful orange beaks.
Looking back towards Húsavík, the town seems to get smaller and smaller as we head further towards the north — but not far enough to cross the Arctic Circle.
Final Boarding Call
Little did I know that even more surprises awaited me during this voyage, which will be continued in a future article.
All photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
This article is part of a series of articles by Brian Cohen pertaining to experiencing Iceland in eleven days. Please refer to the Iceland: Itinerary and Master Guide for links to additional articles which have been completed in this series.
