During the year our surroundings change – and so does the wildlife we spot. Not only are they different in every country, they also change through the seasons. Arctic foxes change their colour, birds are nesting, the new generation flies off to the wide ocean and suddenly, were there were cries of gulls só loud you could not think, now the rocks are empty and the foxes roam other cliffs.
The Arctic fox
The Arctic Fox in summer dress. We will spot the Arctic Fox in Iceland, most likely in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, where they have no enemies. This makes them more curious then afraid and they might even come close to our party when we are on our walks.
The Puffin
Puffins are some of the funniest and most photogenic birds we see. In spring and summer they nest on the cliffs, where we can easily spot them and get close enough for some amazing pictures.
The Skua
The Skua can be found on the North Sea, heading into Scotland and all through our voyage. But what does change that in the Arctic we might spot some of its more northern family.
Whooper Swan
The Whooper Swan is a large swan with a wingspan of 205–275 cm. They find their food in the fjords of Iceland and can be spotted on most of our Iceland voyages.
Their call is a very deep honking which gives them away easily. Their flight along the coast is amazing to see.
Razor Bill
Maybe the Razorbill does not have as many colors as the puffin, but they are a very beautiful sort of bird. And are spotted all along the Scottish and Icelandic Coast
Phalarope
You can watch this little guy do its water dance for ever. Not easy to get on the camera, but a beautiful bird nonetheless. We meet this Phalarope mostly on Grimsey, where we also find the Arctic Circle.
The Humpback Whale
Their fluke is a dead give away as is their wish to fly, or so it seems when they launch themselves out of the water from time to time. In the Isafjardardjúp we will most probably encounter several Humpback Whales.
Bearded Seal
Setting sail for Greenland we can spot the Bearded Seal all around the Scoresbysund. They can be 2,1m up to 2,7m big and weigh up to 480kg.
They are easily spotted while they rest from their 300m deep dives for food. Their whiskers are an instrument for deep dives so they can feel their food on the bottom move.
Killer Whale
Although we have spotted Killer Whales between the mainland of Scotland and the Orkneys, they are more common around the Icelandic waters and even in the Greenland sund all the way up to Greenland.
Blue whale
The Blue Whale is the biggest off all the whales and with its 29,9 meters it is the largest animal we have ever recorded on earth.
We spot the Blue whale along the north coast of Iceland when sailing to Akureyri and back. Also on our voyages to Greenland, we spot the Blue Whale in the Greenland Sund. Their fin and size are easily recognized.
Basking Shark
Not a harmfull shark, as they only eat vegetables… but an amazing site to see! How they move through the water and feed is amazing to watch.
We see the Basking Shark mostly around the Scottish Islands.
Muskox
You will encounter the Muskox on one of our voyages to Greenland. The Muskox we have met so far have been rather shy, although it is said not to get too close while they have young ones as they might be aggressive when protecting.
The Muskox comes from the Bovidae family and might be closer to a goat then oxen.. The Iniuts have a beautiful name for the Muskox “Umingmak” which can be translated into “The bearded one”.
