Hyperoodon ampullatus

SIZE: Male- 7.5-9m, Female- 7-8.5m

The northern bottlenose whale is a very rare sight, but it has been spotted from our whale watching boat in Ólafsvík.

Little is known about this species around Iceland, and they are also among the whales that can be prone to stranding. Northern bottlenose whales belong to the beaked whale family, which includes some of the least-known and least-studied whales in the world. For some species, we know very little about them beyond what has been learned from stranded or deceased individuals.

Northern bottlenose whales are deep-diving predators that feed mainly on deep-living fish and squid. As toothed whales, they are also highly social and live in family groups, travelling and feeding together.

They tend to be elusive around boats and are rarely encountered at the surface. One northern bottlenose whale became particularly famous when it swam up the River Thames in London, attracting huge attention from the public and media.