The past two days, the whale watching trips from Whale Watching Akureyri had been cancelled due to wind, so we were crossing our fingers over breakfast at the hotel that today's trip would go on as planned. Around 9AM, we received notice the trip was 'on' so we hung out in our hotel room until it was time for our tour and then made our way to the site. We checked in and waited to board their boat while taking photos from the dock.
After a safety briefing, we were underway, with our first stop being a hot spring waterfall across the harbor from the boat dock. The weather was chilly and windy but we stayed on deck for a little bit.
We cruised up the fjord for about an hour and we alternated between the warmth of the inside lower level of the boat and the chilly wind on the upper deck.
Our guide alerted us they had spotted a whale ahead so everyone headed to the front of the boat and we began scanning the water for a spout. Soon the whale exposed himself with a spout and a dive. Then we had to wait for him to resurface again as the guide explained that whales are identified via photos shared worldwide and that is how they track where a whale has been. This whale came up a number of times while we were waiting but eventually we had to turn around and head back to the pier.
Our original 2025 plans were to go to the Mývatn Nature Baths but this year they are in the midst of converting to the "Earth Lagoon" and were not open. Janie was disappointed but J. R. learned there was another hot spring near Akureyri and we booked a spot there for the afternoon. We drove directly there from the whale watching as it was just across the bridge and checked in. Unlike Secret Lagoon, this one offered an indoor entry to the large pool by walking down a ramp under a doorway. Our package included a free drink so Janie had a cider and J. R. enjoyed a beer. The weather was much nicer than we had at Secret Lagoon as the winds from the afternoon had died down. This did mean this location was much more crowded and we had to deal with a woman and her kids who insisted on bumping into us as we stood at one of the rock tables to enjoy our drinks.
After a few hours at the lagoon, we drove back to town and parked again in front of the apartment complex. We went looking for a place to eat. Our original target was a wine bar, but their menu was limited and we had not eaten anything but a protein bar since breakfast, so we went back down the main street in search of a pub we had seen earlier in the week. Instead, Akureyri Backpackers caught our eye and we headed in. Janie found a table and J. R. went to the bar to order. The bartender was engaged making drinks and another woman came up who apparently was meeting friends and tried to cut in front and make her order, but she had not counted on the bartender realizing J. R. had been waiting. Janie had a chicken naan and a cider and J. R. ordered a plate of wings with three sauces and an arctic ice beer. We walked back to the hotel after dinner to pack up for our drive the next day.
