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🇮🇸 Iceland /Culture & Society

New whale watching boat launched in Iceland

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Whale Watching Hauganes has launched its fourth whale watching boat, the Puffin, from Hauganes, Iceland.
  • The new boat is expected to be more suitable for winter tours and potentially Northern Lights excursions due to its larger interior.
  • The company, Iceland's oldest whale watching operator, also offers puffin tours to Hrísey island, where puffin populations have increased since 2019.

Whale Watching Hauganes, Iceland's oldest whale watching company, has expanded its fleet with the launch of its fourth vessel, the Puffin. The new boat embarked on its maiden voyage from Hauganes yesterday, adding to the company's offerings in Eyjafjörður.

This boat will be a good addition to our fleet and will perhaps be more of a winter boat than the others.

— Árni HalldórssonDescribing the new boat's potential use.

Árni Halldórsson, one of the company's owners and founders, described the Puffin as a valuable addition, potentially serving as a more specialized winter boat. Its interior is more spacious than the company's other vessels, making it better suited for winter tours. This enhanced capacity has led the company to consider offering Northern Lights excursions during the winter months, a venture they believe the Puffin will be particularly well-suited for.

We are doing whale tours all winter and are also going on puffin tours to Hrísey.

— Árni HalldórssonDiscussing the company's year-round operations.

In addition to whale watching, Whale Watching Hauganes also conducts puffin tours to the nearby island of Hrísey. Halldórsson noted that since a conservation project initiated in 2019, several hundred puffin pairs have begun nesting on the island. The Puffin, built in Norway in 1984 and capable of carrying 55 passengers, represents the company's continued commitment to providing diverse marine and nature experiences.

This will be better suited for that, that's for sure.

— Árni HalldórssonReferring to the new boat's suitability for Northern Lights tours.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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