Whale & Puffin Watching from Húsavík in Iceland, Húsavík Whale & Puffin Watching

• Expert whale watching guide
• Boat cruise
• Hot chocolate and cinnamon buns
• Warm overalls and raincoats (if needed)

We start the tour by sailing to Puffin Island, located only a short distance out of Húsavík. Over the summer, Puffin Island is bustling with life, with over 100,000 Puffins staying in the colony every year. Watching these funny little birds nesting, flying around and diving for food ​is very entertaining. Especially kids love the unique clumsy flying style! The wooden boats sail around the island, giving you a good time to observe the diverse birdlife. The crew onboard has extensive knowledge of local birds and wildlife, and they're happy to share their wisdom with passengers.

The puffins arrive in the middle of April every year and stay until the end of August. It is also interesting that 60% of the worlds puffins breed in Iceland, so you are in the right place to see these amusing birds.

Next, we will head out to the whale watching area and spend the rest of the tour with the whales. Many whales visit the Bay every year to feed in the nutritious waters. Getting close to these remarkable animals is an experience one can hardly put into words.

Our crew will serve you some hot chocolate and cinnamon cookies to round up the tour on the way back to Húsavík.

Husavik Whale Watching Iceland: Whales, Puffins, Oak Boat

A husavik whale watching iceland tour on a traditional oak boat combines two of the most rewarding wildlife experiences available anywhere in the North Atlantic in a single 2.5 to 3 hour departure: whale watching in Skjálfandi Bay, one of the world's best whale watching locations with sighting rates above 95% in peak season, and puffin watching at a dedicated Puffin Island just outside the harbor that hosts over 100,000 nesting puffins every summer. Iceland whale watching here is genuinely different from whale watching tours in other countries because the whales come to feed in Skjálfandi Bay's exceptionally nutrient-rich cold waters rather than being sought out over long distances, which means the whales are often visible within 30 minutes of departure. The gentle giants of the humpback whales and minke whales are the most frequent species; white beaked dolphins also appear regularly alongside the boat. The tour expert whale watching guide provides continuous commentary on species identification, diving behavior, and the bay's ecosystem while the crew serves hot chocolate and cinnamon buns on the return, which is either exactly what you need after a North Atlantic morning or the best surprise of the trip.

Tips for Husavik Whale Watching

Short tips before boarding in Husavik:

• Wear warm layers regardless of season. Skjálfandi Bay is cold even in July.
• Best months are April to September. Puffins arrive mid-April and leave late August.
• Arrive 30 minutes early. Boarding formalities and gear fitting take time.
• Bring waterproof boots if you have them. Wooden boat decks can be wet underfoot.
• Children 0-6 travel free. Ages 7-15 qualify for the child rate.
• Overalls and raincoats are provided. No need to pack your own.

The meeting point is the ticket office in Húsavík. Warm overalls are issued before every tour departure.

More Facts About Husavik

Húsavík became internationally recognized as a whale watching destination following the release of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix, 2020), the comedy film starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams that filmed extensively in Iceland and specifically referenced Húsavík as its fictional small-town home. The song "Husavik" written for the film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song in 2021, putting this small North Iceland town on the map for a global audience. The town has hosted the Húsavík Whale Festival annually since 1997.

What to Add to Your Iceland Trip

Husavik and North Iceland reward those who continue exploring. A 2-hour horseback riding tour on Icelandic horses from the Mývatn lake area, about an hour south of Husavik, gives a direct encounter with the island's terrain at a slow, scenic pace. For those making the trip south to Reykjavík, a 1.5-hour Folklore Walking Tour through the capital's old streets with a local guide covers Iceland's hidden mythology and ghost stories in a format completely different from wildlife touring. A 2-hour small-group Viking history walking tour of Reykjavík connects the whale watching experience to Iceland's broader cultural narrative.

Who Gets the Most from This Tour

Families with children, particularly those aged 7 and above who are genuinely excited by large marine mammals and comically waddling puffins, find this tour the most consistently rewarding wildlife experience Iceland offers. Couples visiting Iceland for the first time who want a shared outdoor adventure without physical difficulty find the oak boat format naturally romantic. Solo wildlife photographers find Husavik's combination of humpback whales and puffin colony the most productive single location for marine wildlife imagery in the North Atlantic. Groups of friends making their first Iceland trip find this the undisputed highlight.