~ FOR GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR MARINE LIFE ~
Tracking Wildlife Using Photo ID
By conducting research in Faxaflói bay off Reykjavík and Eyjafjörður fjord off Akureyri, we are sometimes able to track whales travelling to different places in Iceland. Working with other researchers in the country also helps us keep track of them and determine how far these guys travel and why. It always fascinates us to see them again and again - especially in different parts of the country!
ÞRÖSTUR
A good example of this is a humpback whale called Þröstur, who was with us for almost 2 months in Faxaflói in the summer of 2015.
Þröstur was next spotted in summer of 2016 in Eyjafjörður in early June and surprised us yet again by turning up a few weeks later in Faxaflói.
TATTOO
One of our most recognisable humpback whales is Tattoo, a regular in Eyjafjörður and a crew favourite. This individual has been seen on our tours ever since 2016 and seems to return every year as it was spotted in the same area again in 2017 and 2018!
In May of 2019, Tattoo was spotted in Breiðafjörður bay by Láki Tours who operates out of Ólafsvík.
On 1 July 2020, Tattoo was encountered in Faxaflói bay outside of Reykjavík! It's distinctive fluke made it easy to recognise without needing to photo match!
N/N ORCA
A pod of Orcas we encountered Eyjafjörður in April 2019 was seen in Hólmavík (West-Iceland) a few weeks later. Sadly, a member of the group was found beached and deceased.
A local research team was able to determine the group's identity by comparing and cross checking information and data from us and other wildlife enthusiasts in the nearby area.