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  • Iceland Whale Watching July – Whale Watching Iceland in Summer

    Iceland Whale Watching July – Whale Watching Iceland in Summer

    Holidays in Iceland in July

    June, July, and August are the official “summer months” in Iceland. This time of the year is ideal for travelers who are afraid or not used to the colder polar climate. July as one of the warmest months of the year is perfect for road trips, hikes, and camping. Iceland in July means endless daylight, amazing sunsets, and very impressive wildlife all around the island. In summer, thousands of sea birds nest in Iceland, sheep wander around with their lambs, and horses can be seen almost everywhere. But July is also a great time to go whale watching in Iceland. July is one of the best months of the year for whale watching in Iceland. Weather-wise and also in regards to the number of whale species, summer provides great opportunities.

    Iceland Whale Watching with Láki Tours

    Whale watching tours are available in different regions of Iceland. Láki Tours operates whale trips in Snaefellsnes in the West of Iceland and also from Hólmavík in the remote Westfjords. In this article, we want to provide you an idea about what to expect on a whale trip with Láki Tours and also describe possible differences to other whale watching places in Iceland.

    Iceland Whale Watching in July from Snaefellsnes

    From Snaefellsnes, we operate our tours in summer from Ólafsvík in the northern part of the peninsula. Láki Tours is the only operator in this area and we follow the Icelandic code of conduct for whale watching strictly. We operate our tours with only one boat meaning there is only little disturbance to the whales in our bay. We put great emphasis on informing our guests about the whales we see, their behaviors, and also their endangerment.

    Snaefellsnes is a very unique place for whale watching and differs from most whale watching places in Iceland. Snaefellsnes is famous for a variety of different whale species. It regularly happens that we see three or even more species on only one tour in July. While the North of Iceland is famous for the humpback whales and from Reykjavik you usually see minke whales, in Snaefellsnes you do not really know what to expect and everything is possible. The most common species we usually see in July are orcas, humpback whales, pilot whales, minke whales, and dolphins. But there is also the chance to see blue whales or sperm whales in July. We recommend checking our sighting overview in order to get a better idea about what to expect on a whale watching tour in Snaefellsnes in July. Please have a look at the whale species we saw in July 2019 and July 2018.

    Orca Watching in Snaefellsnes

    Snaefellsnes is also the only region in Iceland where orcas (also called killer whales) are regularly seen on whale watching tours. These beautiful photos were taken on our tours in July 2019. Killer whales are known to be extremely social and live in family groups. Therefore we usually see several individuals feeding, sometimes interacting with each other or playing.

    Iceland Whale Watching July from Holmavik in the Amazing Westfjords

    Our tours from Hólmavík are slightly different than the trips from Snaefellsnes but also have some unique features to offer. Like in Snaefellsnes we are the only operator in Hólmavík and operate our tours on only one boat. Not so many people explore the remote Westfjords area and therefore our tours usually take place in a small group setting.

    The bay around Hólmavík is famous for its calmness and also known to host a lot of humpback whales during summer. Plus, the whales are usually deep inside the bay and therefore it usually does not take long until we reach them by boat. This makes our whale tour from Hólmavík very convenient for the following types of travelers:

    • It is the ideal whale trip for persons that are afraid of getting seasick thanks to its shorter duration and the calm bay.
    • This tour is perfect for families with small children that might get a bit inpatient on a longer tour
    • It is a great opportunity for photographers. The sailing is very smooth and stable and no other boat will appear next to the whale we are observing.

    It is also pretty impressive how often we see the very acrobatic behavior of humpback whales on our whale tours such as tail slapping, breaching, or spy hopping. Humpback whales are the favorite species for many whale enthusiasts around the world.

    Iceland Whale Watching July

    All photos in this article were taken by our wonderful whale watching guides in July 2019. Learn more about our whale tours available in summer by clicking the links below. We also regularly post photos from our tours on our Facebook page and also on Instagram.

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    Iceland Whale Watching July
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    Whale Watching Ólafsvík

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    Iceland Whale Watching July
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  • Iceland Whale Watching July 2019 in the Remote Westfjords

    Iceland Whale Watching July 2019 in the Remote Westfjords

    Iceland Whale Watching in July

    July is definitely peak season for whale watching in Iceland and usually, there are wonderful sightings all around the island. At this time of the year, chances are pretty much 100% that you see whales or dolphins on a whale trip in Iceland. While the big whale watching spots such as Reykjavik, Akureyri, and Husavik are well known to almost everyone, in this article, we want to introduce a much lesser-known spot with the same or even better chances of seeing whales in Iceland.

    Whale Watching Westfjords in July

    Holmavik is a village in the Westfjords of Iceland next to the incredible fjord Steingrímsfjörður. For a few years, whale watching has been available in this remote part of Iceland.

    What Makes Holmavik so special for Iceland Whale Watching in Summer

    There are a few parameters that make Holmavik especially good for whale watching in Iceland. Here we list the main arguments for a whale watching tour in the Westfjords.

    1. The wonderful whales

    There are plenty of whales in the fjord during summer. The most common whale species we see on our whale watching tours from Holmavik are humpback whales. But there is always a chance to see other whale species. All photos in this article were taken on July 13, 2019. On this day we saw several species. We had a four species morning with humpbacks feeding, minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, and harbor porpoises also. In the afternoon we spent time with humpbacks, minke whales and a larger group of dolphins. We also saw some puffins flying around or sitting on the water.

    2. Responsible whale watching in Iceland

    Currently, there is only Láki Tours that offers unique whale trips from Holmavik in summer. That means there is only one whale watching boat in the whole fjord while at most other locations in Iceland several tour operators offer trips on several boats on an hourly basis (especially in July). That means Holmavik is a much quieter and more authentic place for whale watching in Iceland during summer. Instead of choosing between different types of tours from several tour operators there is only our wonderful and comfortable boat Láki II that welcomes you for whale watching in summer in Holmavik. Láki Tours policy of responsible whale watching involves respecting the world of the whale by approaching them slowly and carefully. We follow the whale watching guidelines of IceWhale and observe the whales with adequate distance.

    3. The fjord is incredibly sheltered

    Please have a look at the glass calm water on the photos in this article. The Steingrimsfjordur fjord is known for its calmness. The fjord is incredibly sheltered from most wind-directions, meaning we rarely have to cancel tours. Also, sea-sickness is almost unheard of in this fjord.

    4. The whales stay close to the harbour

    The photos demonstrate very clearly how close the whales usually stay to the harbour. That means we usually have to sail only for a couple of minutes to reach the whales. Therefore our 2-hour tour is one of the shortest whale watching options in Iceland making it the perfect trip for families or travelers who are afraid of getting seasick.

    5. Affordable whale watching in Iceland

    Iceland is an expensive country and we know that many travelers look for affordable tour options in Iceland. We are happy to inform you that our whale watching tour from Holmavik is one of the most affordable whale trips in Iceland.

    Summary Best Iceland Whale Watching July

    So if you are planning a trip to the Westfjords or the north of Iceland, we highly recommend taking this unique whale trip in a remote part of Iceland into consideration. If you wonder what else to do in this beautiful area of Iceland we recommend reading our blog about interesting things to do in Holmavik. For booking a whale watching tour please follow the link whale watching Westfjords.