Description
Summary
Description
Meet the world’s first beluga whale sanctuary on this guided tour of the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Vestmannaeyjar, with general admission included. This 45-minute experience suits families, wildlife lovers, and day-trippers crossing to Heimaey who want an expert walk-through rather than a self-guided visit.
Your ticket covers both the guided tour and full general admission to the Beluga Whale Sanctuary Visitor Centre, so you can keep exploring at your own pace afterward. A member of the Animal Care Team leads the walk, and because the sanctuary is a non-profit, every ticket goes directly toward caring for the animals.
The tour begins at the Visitor Centre by the harbor in Vestmannaeyjar, a short and level walk from where the ferry docks. Tours run daily and advance booking is required, so arrive a few minutes early to collect your ticket and settle in.
The belugas Little Grey and Little White are the reason most people come here. The talk covers what daily care involves and how the team keeps the sanctuary’s residents healthy and settled. Whether you see the whales themselves depends on where they are and what the day’s care schedule allows, so treat any sighting as a bonus.
Born around 2007, the whales were moved 6,000 miles from a Shanghai water park in 2019 to become the sanctuary’s first residents. You hear what their daily care involves, down to the 46 lbs (21 kg) of herring and capelin each whale eats.
The route also takes in Iceland’s only Puffin Rescue Centre, home to birds that cannot be returned to the wild because of injury or health problems. Your guide explains how each one is assessed, fed, and housed, and why a small number end up staying permanently.
A native species aquarium sits alongside the exhibit space, stocked with fish and other marine life from the waters around the Westman Islands. The Natural History Exhibit and the informational displays fill in the wider picture of the islands and the animals in the sanctuary’s care. Your guide ties the displays together rather than leaving you to read the panels alone.
Getting here means a ferry crossing on the Herjolfur, roughly 45 minutes from Landeyjahofn on the South Coast, and the sanctuary sits a 5 to 10 minute walk from the terminal on level ground. Ferry services can be delayed or canceled in rough weather between September and April, so check the schedule before you travel.
Book this guided tour of the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Vestmannaeyjar and spend 45 minutes with the team that looks after Iceland’s rescued puffins and the two resident beluga whales of Klettsvik Bay. Check availability now by choosing a date.
