Whale watching Iceland -- dolphins and whales -- whale spotting iceland

Nothing beats the fresh North Atlantic breeze on a boat ride off the coast of Iceland, except perhaps witnessing one of earth´s most magnificent creatures at the same time. Seeing whales and dolphins up close in the wild is a breathtaking experience. Chances are that you´ll see the real thing, because whales and dolphins are spotted on more than 90 percent of the trips. Experts are on hand to talk about the whales, birds and coastline seen along the way. The most common whales seen on the excursion are minke whales, although species such as humpback whales, orcas and sei whales have also been spotted. White beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises are also a frequent sighting in the area, and the coastal cliffs are home to a myriad of seabirds including puffins and gannets. Sailing from the harbour of Keflavik, the course is taken out to sea and the excitement grows as passengers and crew look out for whales blowing or lifting their gigantic tails out of the water. Whales and dolphins often come up very close to the boat, peering at it with interest or playing around it, and the larger specimens have a way of making us humans feel very small in comparison!
The boat trip takes approximately three hours, and the Moby Dick team are happy to pick you up at your Reykjavik hotel. On the way home, weather-beaten sailors have the option of indulging in a hot soak at the stunning Blue lagoon.

The boat and crew.

The Boat and Crew

M/S Moby Dick is a seaworthy and stable vessel, 160 GRT and is authorized for 90 passengers by the Icelandic Directorate of Shipping. The ship was built in Norway 1963 for Icelandic conditions and served for many years as the passenger ship Fagranes in the Westfjords of Iceland. After renovation, it served some years as a whale watching vessel out of Húsavik in Northeast Iceland before it came to Keflavik. Moby Dick has a promenade deck and a foredeck which offer excellent viewing, futhermore a bright and roomy lounge. The Moby Dick Cafe in the lounge offers sandwiches, hot and cold drinks, souvenirs and more.
The crew includes a well seasoned captain, first mate and an engineer. For the last 5 years a marine biologist specialised in the marine mammals has been a member of the crew and will also join us this year speaking English and German. We also offer Scandinavian and Italian speaking guides. On board our passengers can take advantage of our extra rain gear, gloves and sharfs. We operate by the code of conduct as set forth by the Whale and dolphin conservation society (WDCS).

Whale-watching in Iceland.

Operation period:
From 1.4. - 31.10., daily departures and 1.11. - 31.3. by request from Keflavik main harbour:

April & May 12:00

August 10:00

June 10:00
From June 15th 20:00 Midnight sun trip

July 10:00

13:00 Sundays

20:00 Midnight sun trip
August 10:00

13:00 Sundays

Sept. & Oct 12:00

Pick-up is always 1 hour prior to departure.
Duration of each trip is approx 3 hours.

Price 2002

Individual price for adults, 3 hour trip IKR. 3.200

Price for children 12 years and younger IKR. 1.600

Price for children, 6 years and younger Free of charge

Sea angling, fishing 10 – 20 pax IKR. 4.500

20 or more IKR. 3.500

Special event trips by agreement

R/t transf.incl. 2 hour stop at Blue lagoon-IKR. 1.500
(entrance fee not included)
Group discounts – Family discounts – Students´discounts

The Whale Sightings
The boat will sail directly to where the most recent sightings of dolphins and whales have been made. The waters surrounding the Reykjanes peninsula are an important habitat for these marine mammals, mainly as a seasonal feeding ground, rich in plankton and offer fish like sandeel, herring, capelin, haddock and cod the best possible conditions, so also the notable white beaked dolphin (ca 2,8 m long), orcas (killer whales; up to 9 m long), minke whales (10 m) and humpback whales (15 m). Occasionally sei whales (19 m), fin whales (22 m) and the enormous blue whales (up to 26 m long) appear at the surface. You will also see numerous sea birds which likewise feed in these rich waters such as fulmar, kittiwake, common murre (guillemot), gannet, puffin, razorbill, cormorant, great skua, arctic tern, storm petrel. Our confidence in sightings of the whales is based on surveys of marine biologists and very frequent, recent sightings reported by local fishermen.

Whale sightings 2001 season with Dolphin & Whale Spotting:
April May June July Aug. Sept. Okt
Number of trips 18 27 39 56 35 22 22

White beaked dolphin 72% 52% 62% 79% 97% 91% 73%
Minke whale 50% 30% 49% 55% 71% 64% 68%

Harbour porpoise 6% 4% 0% 2% 9% 14% 14%

Humpback whale 0% 0% 10% 11% 20% 0% 5%

Killer whale 6% 4% 3% 2% 0% 0% 5%

Fin whale 0% 0% 0% 2% 3% 0% 0%

Sei whale 0% 0% 0% 2% 0% 5% 18%

Total sightings 89% 74% 74% 100% 94% 91% 91%

Links to distribution maps.

White Beaked Dolphin -Minke Whale -Humback Whale -Killer Whale -Harbour Porpoise

Dolphins and whales.

The Moby Dick.

Sea Angling - Fishing

One of our specialities is fishing at the fine fishing ground in the local waters. 100% fishing, cod or sei fish. All fishing gear is provided on this 4-5 hour fishing tour. We also offer to grill the catch onboard and serve.
Minimum 10 passengers.

Hotel pick-up

Hotel pick-up service via the Blue lagoon (optional)
Our mini buses can easily pick up our guests from any accommodation in Reykjavik and vicinity. Pick- up is approx. 1 hour prior to the departure of the boat. En route, information will be given about the Reykjanes peninsula, its communities and the whale watching. After the tour with Moby Dick, passengers will be brought back to their accommodation, or they may first be taken to the Blue lagoon (entr. fee extra) and then - after a stay there for 2 hours - be brought to their accommodation. If you are leaving on an afternoon or evening flight we can drop you off at the international airport in Keflavik.

Map of Keflavik.

Where to see whales.

Location – How to get there

Departures are from Keflavik main harbour, just a 10 minute drive from the international airport or 45 kilometers west of Reykjavik. Depending on the weather, departures are sometimes from Sandgerdi or Grindavik.

By car you find us in the following way:
Coming from Reykjavik you take main road number 41 towards the west, approximately 50 km. After passing two car sales, turn to the right onto road number 46, then turn left into Njarðvik and drive straight on for nearly 3 km until you see a petrol station. Then you are in Keflavik (part of the municipality of Reykjanesbaer).
You see the main harbour to the right and straight ahead there is a sign Dolphin & Whale Spotting.
There you turn right towards the harbour where you will find M/S Moby Dick.

Reforestry and whale watching

Vigdis Finnbogadóttir.

Since 1998 we have cooperated with the Icelandic Forestry Service by buying and planting one tree for each passenger sailing with us.
When President, Mrs. Vigdis Finnbogadottir planted three trees in every community she visited around Iceland and has thereby led the Icelandic reforetation campaign. With her help, the first trees were planted on the outskirts of the Reykjanesbaer municipality.

Iceland naturally.

Birdwatching in Iceland.