2020-03-01_Wanderlust

ICELAND

wanderlust.co.uk March 2020 95

lightstours.Afterdark,Isetoutinacrampedlittleminibus
withagroupoftouristsandlocalguideThorHjálmarsson.We
drovenorth,hopingtoseetheauroraborealis,thoughalow
activityratingoftwoandsolidcloudcovermadethatprospect
unlikely.Thor’s‘brightside’outlookthat“theworstthatcan
happenwillbesomefreshairandhotchocolate”washowthe
nightpannedout.Aweekintomytrip,thenorthernlightshad
resolutelyfailedtomakethemselvesknown.
Natureputonmoreofashowalongthecoastatthefishing
villageofHúsavík,thenorthcoast’swhale-watching
epicentre.Onawarmclearafternoon,wechuggedoutinto
SkjálfandiBayinatraditionaloakfishingboat.Thebay’s
aprimefeedinggroundforwhales,acombinationofArctic
andAtlanticcurrentsandfreshwaterfromtworivers
creatinganutrient-richareawithhighvolumesofkrill.
Humpback,blueandminkewhales,harbourporpoiseand
white-beakeddolphinsallfeedhere.
Anhouroutfromtheharbour,wespottedthefirstspout,as
ahumpbackbrokethesurface,hu†ng.Afterafewbreaths,the
longblackbackcurvedthroughthewaterandtheflukeroseasit
tookadeepdive.“Theyspend 90 percentoftheirlives
underwater,”MikeSmith,theBritishonboardwhaleexpert,

explained.“Adivecanbeanythingupto 10 minutes.Butthey

alwayshavetocomeuptothesurfacetotakeabreath.”

Therewasanotherhumpbackinthearea.Wewatchedasthe

pairalternatelysurfaced,breathedanddisplayedtheirflukes

beforedives.“Flukemarkingsareasdistinctiveasour

fingerprints,”Mikesaid.“Theseonesareadults.Thebiggest

onewouldbearound15mandwouldweigharound30,000-

35,000kg.Thelargesthumpbackscanbearound18mand

weigh40,000kg,asmuchaseightAfricanelephants.”

Thecaptainturnedtheboatandstartedbacktowards

Húsavík.Fromnowhere,anotherhumpbackleaptoutof

thewateracoupleofhundredmetresawayandflopped

noisily.Wesawitbreachafewmoretimes,leapingand

splashing,beforethisonetooshowedusitsflukesandwent

below.“Thehumpback’sthemostacrobaticofallwhale

species,”Smithsaid.“Themostcommontheoryisthat

breaching’sforcommunication.”

Thatnight,IdroveintothedarkhillsaroundHúsavík.After

strikingouteverynightwhenhuntingfornorthernlights,

Istoodonthehillsideinbracingwind.Withafullmoon,the

cloudshadaghostlyfeel.Then,somethingstartedtohappen.

Starsbecamevisiblethroughbreaksinthecloudandshapes

‘Waves collapsed onto dark rocks as I looked ocean-wards

and wondered how far from where I stood the Arctic began’

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