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Today when I was driving along the coast road on my way to the post office I spotted a whale just a few meters out from the base of the fjord my hometown is named after (Hafnarfjörður). It wasn't the first time I'd seen a whale in recent days, three humpback whales have been hanging around for over a week now, but I hadn't seen them this far in before. So on my way back I decided to stop by at the dock and check whether I'd get a good view of it. I wasn't disappointed.
Viewing a humpback whale this close from shore is a rare treat. In fact, something no one would have expected to ever see here. Humpback whales are not commonly seen here along the south coast of Iceland. They normally spend the winters far south in tropical waters and the summers feeding along the north coast of Iceland. So humpback whales are normally nowhere near our lovely town.
Minke whales are the most common whale species in this area and have been known to venture close to shore, but even they are hardly seen inside the harbor. So, needless to say, these visitors have gained a lot of attention from both locals and the lucky tourists to be in the area at this time.