Humpback whale set up home near harbour in Iceland for three weeks delighting tourists and locals
- 3 months ago
A humpback whale has been spotted frolicking around a harbour in Iceland for the last three weeks.
Locals in Hafnarfjörður - which lies 10km south of Reykjavík - have been "lining up on the harbour" to see the spectacle.
Asa captured close up videos of the whale as it sprayed air out of its blow hole - just metres from the onlookers standing at the edge of the harbour.
The whale - thought to be a young male - is estimated to be 20 feet long and locals have been deciding what to call him.
They have suggested Humpy and Juno - but a name hasn't been agreed on yet.
Asa Steinars, 33, a photographer who also runs campervan trips, said: "It's quite unique.
"You can go whale watching in Iceland and sightings out at sea are common, but I have never seen one this close before."
According to Asa, locals are loving having the whale around.
"There haven't been any talks of getting rid of him," she said.
"Some days he goes out to the ocean but he always comes back."
Asa says this particular whale is "behaving uniquely".
She said: "He's not shy at all, he swims right up to the end of the harbour, it's amazing."
However, residing in a busy harbour is not without its risks.
"We are hoping he doesn't get hit by a boat or anything," Asa said.
"I noticed a few scratches on his back - it looked like at some point he had been hit by something.
"But he seems to love it here."
Locals in Hafnarfjörður - which lies 10km south of Reykjavík - have been "lining up on the harbour" to see the spectacle.
Asa captured close up videos of the whale as it sprayed air out of its blow hole - just metres from the onlookers standing at the edge of the harbour.
The whale - thought to be a young male - is estimated to be 20 feet long and locals have been deciding what to call him.
They have suggested Humpy and Juno - but a name hasn't been agreed on yet.
Asa Steinars, 33, a photographer who also runs campervan trips, said: "It's quite unique.
"You can go whale watching in Iceland and sightings out at sea are common, but I have never seen one this close before."
According to Asa, locals are loving having the whale around.
"There haven't been any talks of getting rid of him," she said.
"Some days he goes out to the ocean but he always comes back."
Asa says this particular whale is "behaving uniquely".
She said: "He's not shy at all, he swims right up to the end of the harbour, it's amazing."
However, residing in a busy harbour is not without its risks.
"We are hoping he doesn't get hit by a boat or anything," Asa said.
"I noticed a few scratches on his back - it looked like at some point he had been hit by something.
"But he seems to love it here."