Húsavík has two long-established whale-watching companies on the same quay, and Gentle Giants is the one with the widest choice of boat: two restored oak vessels, four RIBs that will do 52 knots, and a small fibreglass boat for angling. It numbers its trips GG1 and GG2, and those codes are how you will see them sold — GG1 is the three-hour oak-boat tour, GG2 the two-hour RIB safari with a puffin stop. Direct prices run 12,490 ISK and 21,990 ISK.
What the company actually is
Gentle Giants was founded in 2001, when eleven people in Húsavík pooled their trades, restored an old oak boat that had been used for fishing and whaling, and sent it back out to look at whales instead. It is owned by Stefán Guðmundsson and his family; he is also the CEO and a working captain, and the company traces 160 years of family history in Skjálfandi Bay. That lineage is the marketing line, but the operational fact behind it is useful: the captains are local fishermen who have read this bay their whole lives.
It is a member of IceWhale and an authorized day-tour provider under the Icelandic Tourist Board, its crews train at the Maritime Safety and Survival Centre of Iceland, and the boats are licensed by the Icelandic Transport Authority. It has been recognized by TripAdvisor for fifteen consecutive years and won a GetYourGuide award for the RIB tour in 2019 — the only Icelandic tour honoured that year.
Boats, seasons and what is on board
Oak boats. Sylvía, built in Akureyri in 1976, carries 70 and has a modern low-noise engine; Faldur, built in the Westman Islands in 1972, carries 45. Both give you benches spread through the vessel, a high viewpoint and the freedom to move — at full capacity in high season there may not be a seat for everyone at once, which is fine, because nobody sits still when a humpback surfaces.
RIBs. Amma Jóhanna, Amma Helga, Amma Sigga and Amma Kibba were built in Poland between 2013 and 2017, run twin 400–420 hp outboards, and take twelve passengers each. Everyone is seated for the whole trip and flotation overalls are compulsory.
Seasons: 1 April to 30 November on the oak boats, 1 April to 31 October on the RIBs, with puffins at the island roughly 15 April to 15 August. Peak is May to September. Every tour carries a specialized wildlife guide, and overalls and rain jackets are included; the smallest child overall is size 86/92 on the oak boats and 128 on the RIBs, which is the real reason for the RIB height limit.
What turns up in the bay
Gentle Giants names harbor porpoise, white-beaked dolphin, minke whale, humpback whale and blue whale as the commonest species in Skjálfandi, and publishes a map of the maximum search area for each route — worth a look before you choose a boat, because it shows exactly how much more water the RIB can cover in two hours than the oak boat can in three.
Its own framing of the odds is the sane one: humpbacks and dolphins are the usual sighting in midsummer, the blue whale is a bonus rather than a plan, and no tour can promise either. Dolphins count as a sighting for the purposes of the return voucher, which is worth knowing before you argue at the desk.
What it costs and what happens if you see nothing
Adults pay 12,490 ISK on the oak boat, 6,490 ISK for children 7–15, nothing under 7. The RIB is 21,990 ISK, or 15,990 ISK for children 8–12, with a six-passenger minimum for a scheduled departure. Prices include 11% VAT and are checked regularly; both tours are also listed on GetYourGuide, where the archived listing pages name the activity provider as Gentle Giants Whale Watching — the platform does not put the company in either title, so the two below are its own.
Sighting guarantee
No refund, but an unlimited return voucher for the oak-boat tour — and dolphins count as a sighting.
- The clause
- "If no whales (dolphins included) are seen on the tour, passengers are welcome to join a GG1 Whale Watching tour free of charge, depending on availability."
- Window
- "The voucher is valid unlimited" — no expiry — but it names the passengers of the original booking and cannot be reserved in advance.
- Refunds
- "We do not refund tickets if no whales (dolphins included) are seen on the tour."
- Published odds
- The home page claims "97-99% sightings in the past years on average". The company still says sightings can never be guaranteed.
- Cancellation
- Full refund if you cancel more than 24 hours before departure; full charge inside 24 hours. Weather cancellations get a refund or a change of date.
Booked through a platform? That seller administers the refund, not the operator.
The practical detail only this page gives
Check in at the big white house with blue flags in the center of town, forty minutes before departure — not at the boat. Boarding pass in hand, you get 20% off the Húsavík Whale Museum, and discounts at GeoSea and local restaurants, which turns a wet afternoon into a plan.
Dress as the crew does: thermal base layers, a fleece, outdoor trousers rather than jeans, a hat that will not blow away, waterproof gloves and closed waterproof shoes. Overalls go over your clothes on the oak boats and are mandatory on the RIBs, with sizes to 3XL and 2XL respectively — if you are unsure, book "pay on arrival" and try one on at the ticket center before you commit. The RIB is closed to pregnant passengers and anyone with heart or back problems, and the crew can impose age limits at short notice if the sea turns.
Price check · GetYourGuide
Live prices, per person, checked regularly. Sorted from lowest.
| Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hauganes: Whale Watching North Iceland | $83.84 Lowest | 2.5 h | ★ 4.7 (262) | Check dates |
| From Dalvik: Arctic Whale Watching in Northern Iceland | $89.79 | 3 h | ★ 4.7 (461) | Check dates |
| Húsavík: Whale Watching Tour with Heated Indoor Seating | $92.03 | 3 h | ★ 4.6 (2,282) | Check dates |
| Húsavík: Traditional Whale Watching Tour | $95.40 | 3 h | ★ 4.6 (2,459) | Check dates |
| Húsavík: Whale Watching Tour with Guide | $96.52 | 3 h | ★ 4.5 (3,095) | Check dates |
| From Reykjavik: Whale Watching Tour | $98.76 | 3.5 h | ★ 4.2 (751) | Check dates |
How it compares with the neighbors
The obvious rival is North Sailing, fifty meters along the same harbor: it started whale watching in Skjálfandi in 1995, sails schooners as well as oak boats, and runs the only electric whale boats in Iceland. Pick Gentle Giants for the RIB and the wider choice of hull; pick North Sailing for a silent approach or a sail. Our Húsavík page sets the two side by side, and the Iceland page explains why the north beats the capital for humpbacks. If your trip only reaches Reykjavík, Elding and Whale Safari work a thinner bay.
Our call
The RIB safari in June or July
Twelve seats, 52 knots and the far side of Skjálfandi in reach — which is where the blue whales are in early summer.
Skip it if The RIB entirely if you are pregnant, under 130 cm or have a bad back; take the oak boat and lose nothing but speed.
Check Húsavík dates from $167.23Questions people ask
Which tour should I book, the oak boat or the RIB?
The oak-boat tour (GG1) is about three hours, family-friendly at any age, and you can walk the deck and change your view. The RIB tour (GG2) is about two hours, seated throughout, covers far more of the bay and adds a stop at Puffin Island in season. The RIB has a minimum age of 8 and a minimum height of 130 cm.
What does it cost if I book direct?
Per gentlegiants.is, the oak-boat tour is 12,490 ISK for adults and 6,490 ISK for children aged 7–15, free under 7. The RIB safari is 21,990 ISK for adults and 15,990 ISK for children aged 8–12. All prices include 11% VAT.
When does the season run?
The oak-boat tour sails daily from 1 April to 30 November, the RIB from 1 April to 31 October. The company names May to September as the peak and says April, October and November have also produced near-daily sightings recently.
Will I see puffins?
Only on the RIB tour, which stops at Puffin Island roughly 15 April to 15 August. The operator says about 100,000 puffins nest there each year and that you cannot land, because the island is privately owned and the water around it is too shallow to approach closely.
Can a wheelchair user join?
On the larger oak boat Sylvía, yes, subject to weather and conditions. The entrance is about 57 cm wide, so boarding needs help; the crew recommends afternoon or evening departures because they are less crowded, and asks you to contact them in advance.
How far out does the boat go?
Not far. All tours stay inside Skjálfandi Bay — the company states it does not go offshore, because the whales come well into the bay to feed.
How early should I arrive?
Forty minutes before departure at the ticket center in town. Miss the boat and there is no guaranteed refund or rebooking, although the crew will try to fit you onto a later sailing.
Official sources
Updated September 17, 2026 · partner prices refreshed October 6, 2026
