Big Whale Safari & Puffin Island Speedboat Tour Husavik

Húsavík harbour, where the speedboat safari starts

Húsavík sits on the eastern shore of Skjálfandi Bay in north Iceland and is the country's most famous whale-watching town. Its small harbour, framed by red and white timber buildings and the wooden church of 1907, is the base for the boats that head out into the bay every day from spring to autumn. Rigid inflatable boats were introduced here to give travellers a faster, more adventurous alternative to the classic wooden vessels.

Before the trip you check in at the ticket office on Garðarsbraut, change into the warm one-piece safety overalls and receive a briefing from the guide. If you are wondering how to get to Húsavík, it lies on the Arctic Coast Way, about an hour and a quarter by road from Akureyri and roughly 45 minutes from Lake Mývatn, so a morning safari fits well into a north Iceland road trip.

Skjálfandi Bay whale grounds

Skjálfandi Bay is one of Europe's most reliable places to see whales. Rivers carry nutrients into the bay, cold Arctic water mixes with warmer currents and plankton blooms in summer, drawing humpback and minke whales in to feed. White-beaked dolphins and harbour porpoises are common, and in May to July blue whales are sometimes seen, along with the occasional fin whale or orca.

On a speedboat the guide can move quickly between sightings, which often means more time with the animals and less time travelling. Sitting low on the boat's side, you see a humpback's back and tail flukes almost at eye level, a very different feeling from a high deck. The snow-streaked Kinnarfjöll mountains on the far shore make a spectacular backdrop for photos of whales surfacing.

Puffin Island (Lundey)

Lundey, which simply means Puffin Island, is a small, steep-sided island in Skjálfandi Bay, its grassy top riddled with burrows where Atlantic puffins nest. From around May to mid-August the cliffs and sea around the island are busy with puffins landing with beaks full of small fish, as well as fulmars, kittiwakes, guillemots and Arctic terns. The island itself is protected and no one goes ashore, but the RIB can approach slowly and quietly close to the cliffs.

Many people ask where to see puffins in north Iceland, and this is one of the easiest ways, combined with whale watching in a single trip. The best time to visit Puffin Island is June and July, when the colony is at its fullest. Outside the nesting season the cliffs are quieter, and the trip focuses on whales and the scenery of the bay.

The RIB speedboat experience

A rigid inflatable boat combines a solid hull with air-filled tubes, making it stable, safe and fast. Passengers sit astride padded seats with handholds, and the boat skims over the waves at speed between sightings before slowing right down when animals are near. Groups are small, so everyone has a front-row view and can ask the guide questions.

Because you are close to the water, it can be cold and spray may reach you, which is why warm safety overalls are compulsory and rain jackets are provided when needed. Is a whale-watching speedboat tour worth it compared with a traditional boat? If you want a more dynamic ride and the puffin island in two hours, yes; if you prefer a calm deck and hot drinks, the classic oak-boat trip may suit you better.