Day 21

Sunday 21st July – 0Km

 

Up early again as the tent is stifling. There is a lightly clouded sky so I do some more washing after breakfast. 

I walk into the village but the pharmacy is closed. I spend an hour in the Whale museum and information centre before returning to the campsite to listen to the radio. There are lots of annoying flies. 

Husavik used to be a whaling port but most of its tourist trade now is geared around Whale Watching trips. Mine is on the Knorrin, an old restored herring boat. There is a fleet of 3 small boats chugging into the middle of the fjord. The sea is very calm, just a gentle swell with no breaking waves. 

The first contact is with a school of White Beaked Dolphin; they have calves with them and run from the boats. Later we see a single dolphin repeatedly jumping out of the water but he’s too far away to photograph and vanishes when we chase him. 

A small school of Minke whales surround the boats and then head further out to sea leaving one of their number behind. This whale is very curious, circling and diving under our boat for 20 minutes and then just hanging in the water with one eye above the surface watching us. 

On the way back it starts to rain so I have a line of wet washing at the campsite. 

I laze around for a while and then go out for a meal at the Gamli Baukar, Arctic Char: 2 small fillets of fish, one small potato and a little bit of salad. I’m losing weight on this trip!

Iceland 2002    Day 20    Day 22