Three Hours on the Water: the Skálanes Wildlife Cruise
Every other trip from this pier puts you on a road for two or three hours. This one does not. A boat leaves the old fish factory dock, runs down the fjord past waterfalls that drop straight into the sea, into the Skálanes reserve, and out under Skálanesbjarg, where the cliffs stand hundreds of metres over the water and the seabirds nest on them. Three hours, $102, and the cheapest thing running here.
About the Trip
Out of the harbour, down the fjord and back, with no driving at either end
Per person, less than half the price of any coach from this pier
Run by Tröllanes Seatours, a local operator
Nesting on the cliffs, with seals on the rocks below
A few minutes on foot from either cruise pier
Colder on the water than in town, whatever the forecast says
Check Dates and Times
Live availability in US dollars. One boat, one departure pattern, so a busy call date closes early.
Why This One Is Different
Skálanes sits 17 km out along the fjord from the town, and reaching it by land is an expedition. The track crosses at least three streams, one of them with steep banks and enough water to need a proper 4x4, and it takes over an hour on gravel. By boat it is a straight run down the water.
That is the case for this trip in one sentence: it reaches a place the roads make awkward, and it does it in three hours instead of eight. It is also the cheapest entry in the Seydisfjordur tours lineup by a wide margin.
What you pass
The town falls behind within minutes and the fjord narrows between walls that hold snow into June. Waterfalls come off both sides straight into the sea. The guide talks about the families who worked these shores, because there were farms out here long before there was a road.
Skálanesbjarg
The turning point. The cliffs at Skálanes rise to around 640 m and hold thousands of nesting seabirds through the summer: puffins, fulmars, kittiwakes, eiders and arctic terns. Seals lie on the rocks under them.
Whales turn up often enough that the operator mentions them and careful enough not to promise them.
Who it suits
Short calls, tendered calls, and anyone who has had enough of coaches. Also the obvious one: if you get seasick, this is open water at the fjord mouth and the swell is real. Take something before boarding or book a canyon trip instead.
What the Price Covers
Simple to summarise: the boat and the guide for three hours.
- Included: the three-hour guided cruise on the waters of East Iceland
- Not included: food and drinks. Bring what you want to eat
- Not included: binoculars, which the operator specifically suggests you bring
- Not needed: transport to the meeting point. The dock is a walk from the pier
How the Three Hours Break Down
The operator publishes a route rather than a timetable, so these are the stages as they run.
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Start
The blue fish factory dock
The boat ties up by the old factory on the lagoon side. Walk from either pier in a few minutes.
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First 30 min
Out of the harbour
The town falls behind, waterfalls come off both walls of the fjord, and the guide starts on the history of the shore farms.
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Middle
Skálanes nature reserve
The coastline turns wilder. Seabirds work the water, seals appear on the rocks, and the reserve's cliffs come into view.
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Turning point
Skálanesbjarg
Under the sea cliffs, among the highest in Iceland, with nesting puffins and fulmars overhead.
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Last hour
Back up the fjord
The return leg, usually with the light behind you and the mountains ahead.
Important Things to Know
What to pack
The operator's own advice, which is short and correct.
- Warm layers. It is colder on the water than in town by a wide margin
- A windproof outer layer, since the fjord funnels wind even on a calm day
- Binoculars, which the operator names explicitly and does not provide
- Seasickness tablets taken before boarding if you are prone to it
- A camera, and something to keep the spray off it
- Water and a snack, as nothing is sold on board
Who this trip does not suit
- Anyone who gets seasick. The fjord mouth is open to the Atlantic and the swell is not gentle
- Travellers who want to walk. You stay aboard for the whole three hours
- People hoping for a guaranteed whale. Sightings happen and are not promised
Fitting it around the ship
Three hours is the shortest trip running from this pier, which makes it the safe choice on a call under eight hours or one where the ship is tendering. It also leaves time to walk the town afterwards, since the dock, the blue church and the rainbow street sit inside the same 0.3 km.
Insider Tips
From people who have been out on the fjord and around the reserve.
- Dress as if it were ten degrees colder than the town thermometer. Everyone who writes about this trip says the same thing and some of them learned it the hard way
- The seaward side of the boat gets the cliffs and the spray. Pick your side by which one you would rather have
- Reaching Skálanes by land means a 4x4 across three streams and over an hour on gravel, which is why the ship excursions that go there overland cost far more than $102
- Take the binoculars seriously. Seals on the rocks and birds on the high ledges are the difference between a good trip and a great one
- If bird life is not your thing, this is not the trip to book. The reviews are consistent that the wildlife is the point
- Go early in the day if you have a choice. The fjord tends to be flattest in the morning
Where the Boat Goes
Down the fjord from the town to the Skálanes reserve, 17 km out on the southern shore.
Questions About the Cruise
Will I see whales?
Sometimes. The operator says a whale may break the surface on lucky days and stops short of promising one. What you will see reliably is seabirds on the Skálanesbjarg cliffs and seals on the rocks below them.
Is three hours long enough to be worth it?
It is the only trip from this pier that reaches Skálanes at all without a 4x4 and an hour of gravel road. At $102 it also costs less than half of any coach here, and it leaves your afternoon free for the town.
How rough does it get?
Rough enough that seasickness is a real consideration. The route ends at the mouth of the fjord where the Atlantic comes in. Mornings are usually calmer. Take tablets before boarding rather than after.
Where exactly does it leave from?
The dock by the big blue fish factory, on the harbour. From either cruise pier it is a flat walk of a few minutes, so no transfer is needed and nothing gets missed if the tender queue runs long.
Can children come?
The operator sets no age limit on this one, unlike the coach trips, but three hours on open water suits older children better than toddlers. For a gentler wildlife day, the puffin colony at Hafnarhólmi is reached on foot along boardwalks.
What Travellers Said
Our guide was amazing. We learned a lot from him and he was very knowledgeable and polite.
Seyðisfjörður nature and wildlife cruise
One quote rather than three: this trip carries 50 ratings and we only publish reviews we can attribute to a named traveller and date.