RESPECTFUL WHALE WATCHING FROM HOLMAVIK (ICELAND)
The Shelltone Whale Project is an environmental organization that carefully selects whale-watching operators committed to a respectful approach.
Marine biologists and experienced naturalists who put animal welfare first.
Book directly with operators selected by the Shelltone Whale Project, at the best available rate and with no additional fees.
The Shelltone Team’s Review
Located in Iceland’s Westfjords, Hólmavík offers a whale watching experience unlike the country’s more visited destinations. Here, the landscapes are vast, the villages are few, and the ocean still retains a sense of space and tranquility that has become increasingly rare.
The waters surrounding this region are among Iceland’s most important feeding grounds for humpback whales. It is not uncommon to encounter these giants of the sea just minutes from the harbor, in the calm fjords where they gather to feed during the summer season.
We selected this team for the quality of their small-group experience and the privileged access they offer to one of Iceland’s most unspoiled regions. Far from the crowds of the country’s best-known destinations, their trips provide the time and space to observe whales in an environment where nature remains largely untouched.
Beyond encounters with whales, these outings invite visitors to discover another side of Iceland: one of remote fjords, open horizons, and landscapes where silence is still part of the experience.
What it means to be “Shelltone selected”
Every operator featured here has been selected because it complies with the Shelltone Charter.
Cetaceans are never approached at more than 5 knots.
Animals are always approached from an angle that follows their direction of travel, never by cutting across them.
Mothers with calves are never approached.
These principles form the foundation of the Shelltone Charter. Our selection also considers the overall attitude of the operator, the quality of the guidance provided, and the ability to recognize when choosing not to approach is the most respectful decision.
These are not recommendations. They are the conditions under which every Shelltone Selected Operator is chosen.
What We Particularly Appreciate Here
The privilege of observing whales in the quiet of the fjords, sometimes without another boat in sight. A destination that reminds us that some of the most meaningful encounters with the living world arise from tranquility, space, and the time we are willing to devote to it.
YOU ARE BOOKING HERE DIRECTLY THROUGH THE OFFICIAL CALENDAR OF WHALE WATCHING HÓLMAVÍK
NO INTERMEDIARY. NO ADDITIONAL FEES.
AVAILABILITY AND PRICES ARE PROVIDED DIRECTLY BY THE OPERATOR.
BOOKING WILL SOON BE POSSIBLE!
Photos from the Holmavik expedition
English 
Français