A large number of whales have been observed around Iceland after the summer whale count. Fin whales are the main species observed by the researchers.
The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute of Iceland (MFRI) has recently conducted a census of whales in Icelandic waters. The count, which took place over a month, shows that the whale forecast for the year was very good with over 4000 whales counted.
– A great number of whales were spotted, MFRI whale expert Guðjón Már Sigurðsson told Icelandic state broadcaster RUV. Most of all, fin whales. After those, long-finned pilot whales, northern bottlenose whales, and humpback whales.
There have also been reports of large pods of humpback whales near the island of Grímsey, north of Iceland, according to Sigurðsson. It is believed that these particular whales were following a school of mackerel, but the expert also believes that humpback whales in general have increased in numbers.
