Animals in Iceland

Wildlife in Iceland means whales first of all, and they are watched in the north, in Skjálfandi bay off Húsavík. Humpbacks, minkes and white-beaked dolphins come in here, and blue whales appear in summer; the odds in season are good, though nobody guarantees them, and operators usually offer a second sailing free.

The formats differ by vessel and by how quiet it is on board. The classic Húsavík sailing runs three hours at 109 dollars, the sailboat the same three hours at 122, and the carbon-neutral electric option at 135. A tour with puffins added lasts three and a half hours at 139 dollars: the birds nest on an islet in the bay from May to August. There is also a sailing from Árskógssandur, half an hour from Akureyri — two and a half hours at 109 dollars.

There are other animals too. A two-hour ride on Icelandic horses by Lake Mývatn costs 154 dollars — the breed is short, even-tempered and has an extra gait, the tölt, that most other horses lack. GetExperience lists 8 animal programmes in Iceland, from 109 to 154 dollars and two to three and a half hours long; warm overalls are handed out on board. Dates are picked in the calendar, with online card payment.