Day 2 – Reykjavik harbour and Whales of Iceland

My second day in Iceland was a little less busy, as there was nowhere to be at a any set time. So, after breakfast in the hotel, I took a nice walk around Reykjavik harbour; the sun was out and, although cold, the clear blue sky made everything look brighter and made for better outdoor photography. There were plenty of fishing boats to view around the harbour, as fishing, of course, is one of Iceland’s main industries.

After walking for a while, I came across one of Reykjavik’s main attractions: the whale museum – Whales of Iceland. This is one of the largest museums dedicated to whales in Europe, and possibly beyond. It offers excellent life-sized models of whales, as well as interactive displays, a café, and a souvenir shop that sells every time of whale in plush form! The museum itself isn’t huge, but you can spend as long as you like there. They do guided tours throughout the day, but I decided to purchase the self-guided tour that can be downloaded to your phone and uses the Wi-Fi. I found the information really interesting, and I learnt things about whales that I never knew before: apparently, the hippopotamus is the whale’s closest cousin and fossil records show that whales are closely related. Early whales had already adapted themselves to life on the coast and gradually over time they lost their limbs and became the marine mammals we know today. My tour finished off with a short whale documentary in the cinema viewing area and a hot chocolate in the café!

The rest of my day involved a bit more sightseeing and photography around the centre of Reykjavik, and my evening was spent enjoying a lovely Italian meal at the Hungry Chef before getting some rest for my long trip the following day.