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Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík

Name: Big Whales & Puffins RIB boat tour from Húsavík
Brand: Husavik Adventures
SKU: 34418P1
Price: 154.94 USD
Rating: 5.0 (286 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceAkureyri, Iceland

2 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Sometimes whale watching cruises on huge boats make it hard to be able to actually see the ocean life unless you board first and claim the best spots. This whale watching tour from Husavik is on board an RIB boat limited to just 12 passengers, so you’re never in competition for the best vantage points. Plus, its easy to stay warm and safe with an included warm suit and life jacket.

Catch sight of ocean life during this whale watching tour from Husavik
RIB boat seats up to 12 passengers with plenty of room for good views
A guide is separate from the boat’s driver so you get their full attention
Choose from multiple tour times to find what best fits your schedule

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges
Local taxes
Driver/guide
Live commentary on board
Warm overall, life jacket and raincoat (if needed)

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transportation to/from attractions
Gloves & hats

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Husavik Adventures
Garðarsbraut, 640 Húsavík, Iceland
The tour begins by meeting at the Húsavík Adventures's ticket office 30 minutes before departure. Please note that we share the office building with our parent company North Sailing. You can easily find the office on the opposite side of the road from the famous church of Húsavík

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Children must be accompanied by an adult

Minimum age onboard is 8 years old, or 130 centimeters in height
Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Casey_C

The opportunity to see a blue whale was a once in a lifetime. The team was super friendly and well informed of whales and had a passion for their job. They went above and beyond to make our experience the highlight of Iceland.

Reviews

5.0

286 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 286 reviews

Must stop during your roadtrip in Iceland

Philippe_C, May 2024

Awesome experience. Staff was wonderful. Definely worth the detour. Best place to see whales in Iceland.

MASTERPIECE, ONE DREAM

Marco_S, Apr 2024

as soon as we spotted the whale, a minke whale, he was really happy to show himself, truly a masterpiece

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Marco, We are so glad you had a succesful experience! Your kind words means a lot to us and we hope you may witness many more amazing whale sightings. All the best from Húsavík, Verónica.

Sighted not one but...

ChewHua_K, Oct 2023

Sighted not one but surprisingly many humpback whales. Alex were great in giving us information about the whales and Robbie is great in sighting the whereabouts of the whales. Overall we enjoyed ourselves. Great and fun ride on the speedboat.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Dear ChewH..., Thanks for your time writing this detailed review! Our crew was happy to read it and thankful for your kind words. Great to hear you were able to see many different individuals. Every trip is a nice surprise! All the best from Húsavík, Verónica.

Great trip

Julie_H, Oct 2023

We were initially booked to do this the day before but when we got there they told us that whilst the trip was going, it was going to be rough and they gave us the option to rearrange or have a full refund. As we were in the area the following day we rearranged but were very impressed that they gave us these options at no cost to us. RIB was comfortable and the kit they gave us kept us warm. The trip was very enjoyable and we were fortunate that the weather was pretty much perfect! Great sightings too.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Dear Julie_H, Thanks for taking time to write your review! Icelandic weather is very challenging and we always try to find the best way for our customers to have a great experience! Very happy to hear you were satisfied with the options we offered and that you had a nice time with us! All the best, Verónica.

All Around Must Do

Jaclyn_M, Sep 2023

All around amazing tour and a must do when in Iceland. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, the views were spectacular all around, and the humpback whale watching was a sight to see! We got lucky and saw 3 different humpbacks and were able to watch them breach the surface a couple times before going back down to feed.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Jaclyn, Thank you for thinking about us and taking the time for this amazing review! We are so happy to hear about the all around must do trip that you recommend! And seeing 3 humpback whales, even the very rare breaching behavior is a fantastic thing to experience! We are glad that you had such a good time and how much you appreciated your tour with us! We hope to see you again in the future on one of our RIB boats, until then safe travels and take care! Best, Silva from Husavik Adventures

We had an incredible time...

Kirsten_R, Sep 2023

We had an incredible time on this tour! Our guide and captain were amazing and able to get us where we needed to go to see the whales. We got up really close! It seemed like our boat was able to get places quicker than other tours, which was nice. Highly recommend this experience!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Kirsten, Thank you so much for taking the time and telling us about the incredible time that you had on our RIB whale-watching trip! And we can only agree, that the Crew with our Guides and Captains give their best in showing you everything that the bay has to offer that day! We indeed have a few advantages in comparison to the other boats, so thank you for appreciating this and choosing our tour! We hope to see you again in the future on one of our speed boats! Best, Silva from Husavik Adventures

A Great trip, nothing to complain

Ulrike_D, Aug 2023

The quick ride with the small boat, the experienced Captain, the small number of participants, the Guide and of cource the sight of dolfins and two whales.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you so much for your nice review. We are happy to hear that you had a good time with us. We wish you the best and send you warm regards from Husavik Adventures.

Fabulous! Six humpback whale sightings!!!

Barbara_W, Aug 2023

Angie, the marine biologist guide from Madrid was fabulous! Rib boat the only way to go! Fast and maneuverable boat. Saw 6 humpback whale blows that resulted in 6 tails on display...fluking She said likely from 3 whales. Utterly perfect! Cold and rainy afternoon...it didn't matter...great tour!!!!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you so much for your amazing review! We are glad to know that you had a great time. We hope to see you again! Warm regards from Husavik Adventures.

Brilliant

Noel_P, Aug 2023

We were so lucky - we had a great, enthusiastic guide, a speedy driver and we got to see 3 different types of whales and a school of dolphins.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you so much Noel for your kind review. We are very proud of our staff, always giving their best! We are glad to hear that you had a good time. Warm regards from Husavik, Husavik Adventures team.

An amazing experience not to be missed when in Iceland!

Maria_T, Aug 2023

Would 100% recommend as an activity when in Iceland. We saw 5 whales, dolphins swimming alongside us and thousands of puffins on Puffins Island on the way to see the whales. The experience overall was amazing. Our guide was so knowledgable and gave us lots of info on whales, dolphins and more. They made sure we saw as many whales as possible before heading back to the port. Loved everything about this, it was definitely one of our trip's highlights!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Maria_T, Thank you so much for writing us such a nice review, we are so so happy to hear about your amazing experience that cannot be missed in Iceland! We can of course only agree to that! Seeing multiple species in one trip is already wonderful, so thank you for being so appreciative for also the small cetaceans like the dolphins and also the Puffins that you can see in the Puffin season! We really hope to see you again on one of our speed boats in the future, take care and safe travels until then! Best, Silva from Husavik Adventures

Amazing tour, we saw a...

Jonathan_M, Aug 2023

Amazing tour, we saw a bunch of whales and puffins and other birds, great experience 10/10 will highly recommend

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Jonathan, Thank you so much for your review, we are glad to hear how much you enjoyed your amazing tour with multiple whales and puffins! And of course we also hope to see you again in the future on one of our speed boats! Best, Silva from Husavik Adventures

It was very good weather...

WENYAN_X, Jul 2023

It was very good weather and Canceled from no reasonable reason, we just got informed 2 hour before departure so we can’t reschedule everything

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Dear Wenyan Xu, Thanks for the time you took to write this review. We are quite surprised to have received such negative feedback from you, so we wanted to make sure that you understand why your tour was canceled last Sunday, because it seems that we have very different points of view and we would like to share our side of the story. I am not sure if you were actually in Húsavík when you were notified about the cancellation 2h before the departure, but the reason for cancellation is that we were not allowed to go out at sea by Icelandic law. Therefore, the decision of canceling the tour was based on the fact that the Marine Certificate of our boats depends on certain weather conditions and it is not valid beyond those conditions, which I will explain below. The Icelandic maritime law says that if the wind at sea (not in town or elsewhere in Iceland) is over 10m/s and the waves higher than 1.5m, speed boats certified in Iceland are not seaworthy, and going out would be the captain's violation of paragraph 1. Article 29 Administrative Law no. 66/2021. The Transport Agency can fine individuals according to i point 1. paragraph Article 45 shipping law The amount of the fine can amount to ISK 100,000. – 500,000 On Sunday 16th of July, the waves were 1.25 meters in the morning and we decided to go out on 3 different tours (9am, 10am & 12pm). From those departures we could only finish one of them, since the weather was worse than expected. After seeing that happening, we decided to wait until the afternoon to see if the weather would improve, but according to the forecast, if we would go out at 21.30h (the tour you booked), the waves would have been about 2 meters high. Which means, the waves would have been even worse than in the morning, and that would have been illegal according to the Icelandic maritime law. We understand that it can be misleading the fact that we may be having a lovely sunny day in Húsavík town or even in Akureyri, and it might feel like the weather is great as you mentioned in your review. But the bay where Húsavík is located is very exposed to the wind and it is a completely different story what we see from land and what actually happens out at sea. We completely understand the fact that you are disappointed in not being able to go out, we also wanted to enjoy some good whale watching since we have canceled many tours due to weather the past week, but you should understand that the safety of our passengers and crew always go first and we do not want to take any risk by offering tours if that can be dangerous. In any case, even if we would have contacted you earlier than 2h before the tour, you would not have been able to reschedule the tour anyways because all the departures were canceled in Húsavík until 3 days after your scheduled departure. I hope you understand now better the reason why the tour was canceled and we also hope that this review will not be misleading for the readers. We also wanted to let you know that your full refund has already been processed and we have done everything that is on our hands to handle this situation the best we can. Please let us know if there is anything that is not clear or that we can do to make you feel better 🙂 Thank you for your time, Laura

Just fantastic!

Tracey_E, Jul 2023

We had an amazing time- saw one whale many times and lots of puffins. The guide was fantastic and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Hello Tracey_E! Thank you for this review! We are happy to know you enjoyed your experience with us! Our team always puts a lot of effort to make you feel comfortable and satisfied with our tours and we´re always delighted to know you felt that way! We hope to see again you in the future! Best, Husavik Adventure Team

Wow :D

Maria_D, Jul 2023

The experience was fantastic and exciting! We saw dolphins, wales, a lot of puffins and also a seal (or at least its back :D). Our guide and the captain were the best! Truly recommended.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Dear Maria_D! Wow! Thank you for this review! The whole Husavik Adventure team always puts a lot of effort into making your tours memorable and we are extremely happy to know that you had such a good time with us! We hope to meet you on one of our tours again in the future! Best, Husavik Adventure Team

Perfect tour

Valerie_P, Jul 2023

Nice and professional crew that explained everything perfectly. Made us feel safe all the time and were keen to show us the beauty of Iceland.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Dear Valerie_P! Thank you for your review! We are happy to know that you had a good time with Husavik Adventures! The safety and comfort of our guests are always in the first place for us. We are pleased to show you the wonders of our beautiful bay and with speedboats, we have a chance to explore quite a big area during our tour! We hope to see you again on our board in the future! Best, Husavik Adventures Team

Whale watching

Carol_W, Jul 2023

Had a wonderful time. Saw lots of whales and felt very safe on the RIB boat. Our guide Anna was very knowledgeable.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Carol_W, Thank you so much for taking the time and leaving us such a nice review! We are more than happy to hear how much you enjoyed your wonderful time! And we can only agree that both the Guide Anna and our Captains are wonderful Crew who make your experience as safe and enjoyable as possible! We really hope to see you again on one of our tours in the future! Best, Silva from Husavik Adventures

Great time

Anthony_s, Jun 2023

Definitely do the rib boats. So much quicker to catch the views. Staff was great abs knew exactly where to find the views

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Hello Anthony! Thank you so much for your review! We are more than happy to know that you enjoyed the tour with us! Our team is always putting a lot of effort to make your experience memorable! We also love the fact that speedboats allow us to explore quite a big area and react faster to what happens around us! Hope to meet you on our tours again in the future! Best, Husavik Adventures Team

Wonderful

Mikalojus_K, Jun 2023

Tour was amazing. One of the best experiences in Iceland. Guide Laura was great. We saw a lot of puffins, dolphins and 3 whales! Fantastic view.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Mikolaj, Thank you so much for taking the time and leaving us such a nice review! We are more than happy to read how much you enojoyed your wonderful RIB boat experience with us! And we can only agree that Laura is a fantastic guide with a lot of knowledge and passion! Seeing multiple species on a trip is indeed something very wonderful, so we are happy how much you appreciated this trip! We hope to see you again on one of our tours in the future! Best, Your Husavik Adventures Team

Dreams do come true

Pippa_L, Jun 2023

I had an incredible experience. The crew were extremely skilled at spotting whales and were a wonderful enthusiast team. They all always ensured to protect the whales natural activities while giving the guests the best possible experience. At points the whales surfaced so close to the boat it was breathtaking.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Dear Pippa_L! Thank you so much for this review! We are more than happy to know that you enjoyed your time with Husavik Adventures! In fact, it was a great pleasure having you onboard :) Our team always tries to make your trip exciting but also respectfull towards wild nature! Best, Your Husavik Adventures Team

Great guides who really...

Ryana_H, Jun 2023

Great guides who really made a terrible weather moment fun. We had a blast! Saw many puffins and a humpback. Loved it!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Ryana! Thank you so much for telling us about your experience and even more so for being so appreciative of the unpredictable and rough icelandic weather and sea conditions! Our guides of course give their best in making you enjoy the RIB tours so we are really happy to see that you experienced that first hand! Seeing so many puffins and a humpback whale must have been difficult in the weather conditions but we are happy to hear that you got lucky on the tour! We also really hope to see you again on one of our speed boats! Best, Silva from Husavik Adventures

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