Whale watching in Iceland: an unmissable experience!

Iceland is one of the world’s prime locations for whale watching , particularly in the summer, when the country’s coastal waters play host to numerous different species.

Various companies offer organised whale-watching trips for visitors to Iceland and locals, with hot spots being the capital Reykjavik and the North Iceland town of Húsavík.

See: Iceland Monitor’s directory of whale-watching operators

Gentle Giants is one such Icelandic whale-watching company operating out of Húsavík, with a fleet of traditional Icelandic oak boats, modern RIB speedboats and a fibreglass boat.

Founded in 2001, Gentle Giants is fifteen years old this year, and is built up on 150 years of family history in the Húsavík bay of Skjálfandi . CEO Stefán Guðmundsson has deep roots in the area and has been a fisherman since childhood.

The company’s best-selling whale-watching tours start at ISK 10,300 (approx. €73), with concessions for children between 7 and 15, and free for the under 7s. The full range of Gentle Giant tours – featuring everything from whale watching to mountain hiking and puffin spotting – can be found here .

See: Iceland Monitor’s directory of whale-watching operators

Most reputable whale-watching operators in Iceland provide warm, waterproof suits, and offer visitors the chance to repeat their trip free of charge if they are unfortunate enough not to see any creatures on their first trip.

This is indeed the policy at Gentle Giants, although the success rate for spotting whales on their tours is practically 100%, according to Stefán Guðmunds­son.

As well as organised tours, Gentle Giants are happy to receive enquiries for tailor-made tours and even wedding planning!

Have a look at this promotional video, to whet your appetite for your upcoming Iceland whale-watching trip: