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‘Húsavík sits on a scenic bay known as Skjálfandi, which means ‘the tremulous one’ in Icelandic. The name is appropriate, since little earthquakes occur very frequently in the bay, usually without being noticed. These trembles are caused by the wrench fault in the earth’s crust right beneath the bay. Skjálfandi’s bowl-shaped topography and the infusion of freshwater from two river estuaries means that there is a great deal of nutrients collecting in the bay. The nutrient deposits accumulate during the winter months, and when early summer arrives – with its long sunlit days – the cool waters of Skjálfandi bay come alive with myriad plankton blooms.

‘These rich deposits act like a beacon, attracting special types of mammals that are highly adapted to life in the cold subarctic waters. Every summer roughly nine to 11 species of whale are sighted in the bay, ranging from the tiny harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) to the giant blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the biggest animal known to roam the earth. Plankton blooming kick-starts each year’s feeding season; that’s when the whales start appearing in greater numbers in the bay. The first creatures to arrive are the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and the minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). The humpback whale is known for its curious nature, equanimity and spectacular surface displays, whereas the minke whale is famous for its elegant features: a streamlined and slender black body, and white striped pectoral fin. Although the average minke whale weighs the same amount as two or three grown elephants, they are known as the ‘petite cousin’ of the greater rorquals. The minke whale has the tendency to leap entirely out of the water and is likely the only rorqual capable of doing so. Several minke and humpback whales stay in the bay throughout the year, but most migrate south during the winter. The blue whale, undoubtedly the most exciting sight in Skjálfandi, is a recent summer visitor – they only started arriving around four years ago. They usually start coming in mid-June and stay until the middle of July. Watching these highly developed hydrodynamic giants in their natural environment is just spectacular. Other summer sightings in Skjálfandi include the orca, also known as the killer whale (Orcinus orca; some come to the bay to feed on fish, others come to hunt mammals), bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus; a mysterious, deep-diving beaked whale), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis), pilot whales (Globicephala melas) and sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus).

‘Whales only partly use their eyesight, relying much more heavily on their hearing. Toothed whales are known to be highly vocal. Many species – especially dolphins – use whistles and calls to communicate with each other. Most toothed whales use high-frequency echolocation to find prey, observe their surrounding environment and communicate with one another. Baleen whales – like blue whales, minke whales and humpback whales – produce sound at a much lower frequency, and it’s solely used for communication. The blue-whale calls, for example, can travel thousands of kilometres underwater. In cooperation with several colleagues, I have discovered a special knocking sound (or ‘click’) that is likely produced by humpback whales when feeding.

‘I also conduct shore-based observations from a lighthouse in Húsavík, where I survey the location and movement of individual whales. I use that information to better understand how each species negotiates the bay and am especially interested in seeing if the whale-watching boats affect the animals’ behaviour. Whales are often curious about the vessels, but if the vessels drive up too fast, or come too close, the animals can get stressed. Ultimately, the overarching goal is to improve the knowledge about the biology of whales for the benefit of conservation and sustainable wildlife tourism.’

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