North Sailing Husavik
North Sailing is a privately held Icelandic eco-tourism company founded in 1995 in Húsavík, operating an 11-vessel fleet of traditional oak boats, an electric boat, and a hybrid-electric sailboat to offer whale watching tours and Arctic sailing expeditions to international nature and wildlife tourists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersHúsavík, Iceland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What North Sailing Husavik does
The company sells directly to international consumers through a multi-language website (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Icelandic) with online booking, promo codes (e.g., SUMMER2026), and a pay-later option, supported by phone (+354 464 7272) and email reservations. Pricing is transaction-based per ticket, not publicly disclosed, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before activity and free passage for children six and under. A reciprocal channel partnership with Húsavík Adventures distributes RIB (rigid inflatable boat) whale watching tours, including midnight sun departures, extending reach without new capital expenditure. Marketing relies on the website, blog content, email newsletter, and organic social media on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The company holds Authorised Travel Agency and Tour Operator licenses from Ferðamálastofa (Icelandic Tourist Board), a Clean and Safe hygiene certification, and World Cetacean Alliance certification for responsible whale watching, and maintains an active scientific collaboration with the University of Iceland on environmental DNA sampling. North Sailing is founder-operated by Captain Hördur, with no institutional investors, no parent company, and approximately 25 employees; financial figures are not publicly disclosed.
North Sailing Husavik firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- North Sailing Husavik
- Legal name
- North Sailing
- Website
- https://northsailing.is
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- North Sailing is a privately held Icelandic eco-tourism company founded in 1995 in Húsavík, operating an 11-vessel fleet of traditional oak boats, an electric boat, and a hybrid-electric sailboat to offer whale watching tours and Arctic sailing expeditions to international nature and wildlife tourists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
North Sailing Husavik industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Wildlife Tourism
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours (THAAAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sailing, Catamaran & Day-Cruise Excursions (nature-focused) (THAAAIAG), Luxury Yacht & Small-Ship Expedition Cruises (THAEABAF), Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)
Keywords
Where North Sailing Husavik is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Húsavík
- HQ country
- Iceland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
North Sailing Husavik business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Whale Watching Tour Tickets: Day tours from Húsavík and Árskógssandur including Original Whale Watching, Whales and Puffins, Silent Whale Watching, Midnight Sun tours, and Whales and Horses combo tours
- Sailing Expeditions: Multi-day expeditions including Greenland (Scoresby Sound, East Greenland Extended), Arctic Circle tours, Svalbard Ski and Sail, and tailor-made adventures on wooden schooners
- Northern Lights Tours: Tailor-made boat tours for Northern Lights viewing from traditional wooden boats, including Reykjavík departures
- Gift Cards: Gift card sales for whale watching experiences
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard tour pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
North Sailing Husavik product offering
Product offeringCore offering
North Sailing is a whale watching tour operator based in Húsavík, Iceland, offering 2.5–3 hour whale watching excursions from Húsavík and Árskógssandur on traditional oak boats, electric boat Andvari, and hybrid-electric sailboat Opal. The company also sells multi-day sailing expeditions to Greenland, Svalbard, the Arctic Circle, and Reykjavík-based Northern Lights tours, along with gift cards and combo tours pairing whales with puffins or horses.
Product overview
North Sailing is a whale watching tour operator based in Húsavík, Iceland, offering a diverse portfolio of marine wildlife tours and Arctic sailing expeditions. The core product line consists of whale watching tours from two primary departure points: Húsavík (the whale watching capital of Iceland) and Árskógssandur (near Akureyri). Tours range from standard 2.5-3 hour whale watching excursions on traditional oak boats to multi-day sailing expeditions. Key tour variants include Silent Whale Watching (carbon-neutral electric/hybrid boats), Whales and Puffins, Midnight Sun tours, and combo tours pairing whales with horses. Beyond whale watching, North Sailing operates sailing expeditions to Greenland (including Scoresby Sound expeditions and Solar Eclipse 2026), East Greenland Extended tours, Arctic Circle expeditions, Svalbard ski-and-sail adventures, and Northern Lights sailing from Reykjavík. The company also partners with Húsavík Adventures for RIB boat tours. All tours feature experienced guides, warm overalls, and complimentary refreshments like hot chocolate and cinnamon buns.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Húsavík Original Whale Watching Standard whale watching tour departing from Húsavík, Iceland, lasting approximately 3 hours on traditional oak boats, offering close encounters with humpback, blue, and minke whales in Skjálfandi Bay.
- Whale Watching Árskógssandur Approximately 2.5-hour whale watching tour from Árskógssandur, a seaside village 30 minutes from Akureyri, with a 98% sighting rate over the past three years.
- Silent Whale Watching (Carbon-Neutral) Eco-friendly whale watching tour aboard the electric boat Andvari, providing carbon-neutral wildlife encounters in Skjálfandi Bay with minimal disturbance to marine life.
- Whales and Puffins
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% whale sighting rate in Árskógssandur over past 3 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use North Sailing Husavik
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
North Sailing Husavik technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
North Sailing Husavik partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- World Cetacean AlliancecoreWorld Cetacean Alliance certification for responsible whale watching. Company adheres to their Code of Conduct and holds certification for sustainable whale watching practices.
- Húsavík AdventurescorePartner company offering RIB whale watching tours and puffin tours including special midnight sun departures from Húsavík.
- University of IcelandminorScientific collaboration to collect water samples during whale watching tours for environmental DNA studies in seawater in Iceland.
- Ocean MissionsminorPartnership for ocean conservation education and beach cleanup initiatives. Company participates in beach cleaning events and promotes marine environment awareness.
- Diamond CircleminorTourism route partnership connecting key attractions in North Iceland including Húsavík.
- Arctic Coast WayminorTourism route partnership along Iceland's arctic coast featuring scenic drives and attractions.
- Visit North IcelandminorRegional tourism promotion partnership for North Iceland destinations.
- Kaldi BreweryminorIceland's first microbrewery located in Árskógssandur, offering locally brewed beer and taproom visits for visitors before or after whale watching tours.
- Húsavík Whale MuseumminorWorld-renowned whale museum in Húsavík offering educational complement to whale watching tours.
- Geosea BathsminorGeothermal sea baths in Húsavík with panoramic views over Skjálfandi Bay, recommended as post-tour relaxation.
- Mannamót WorkshopminorAnnual Icelandic travel industry workshop where company presents tours and connects with industry partners.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
North Sailing Husavik competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Elding Whale Watching Reykjavík: Reykjavík-based whale watching operator running year-round tours from the capital's harbor. Comparable whale watching product aimed at international visitors but operating from a different (capital-region) departure point.
- Quark Expeditions: Polar expedition cruise company running small-ship voyages to the Arctic (including Svalbard and Greenland) and Antarctic. Directly comparable to North Sailing's Greenland and Svalbard expedition product at a larger, international scale.
- Special Tours Iceland: Reykjavík-based operator running whale watching and puffin tours from the Old Harbour. Comparable sightseeing-by-boat offering targeting the same international visitor pool, anchored in the capital rather than North Iceland.
- Gentle Giants Whale Watching: Húsavík-based whale watching operator offering classic and express whale watching tours from the same bay as North Sailing. Direct competitor for Húsavík day-tour visitors and the most local peer in the Húsavík cluster.
- Lindblad Expeditions: US-based small-ship expedition cruise company offering Arctic, Greenland, and Svalbard voyages with a nature-and-wildlife focus closely aligned to North Sailing's expedition product philosophy.
- Húsavík Adventures: Húsavík-based operator running RIB whale watching and puffin tours, including midnight sun departures. Already a channel partner for North Sailing, but also a direct competitor for high-adrenaline whale watching in the same harbor.
- North Sailing's Húsavík Original (operator cluster): Sourced peer cluster note: North Sailing competes directly with multiple small Húsavík whale watching operators (e.g., Norðursigling, Salka Whale Watching) sharing the same Skjálfandi Bay waters and overlapping customer base of day-trip visitors from Akureyri and Húsavík.
Broad incumbents
- Hurtigruten: Norwegian-headquartered expedition and coastal voyage operator with significant Arctic and Greenland itineraries. Comparable to North Sailing's expedition cruises but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Arctic Adventures: One of Iceland's larger multi-product inbound tour operators, offering whale watching alongside a broad portfolio of adventure and sightseeing activities. Comparable whale watching component but operating at much larger scale and broader product breadth.
Emerging players
- Polar Latitudes: Small-ship Arctic and Antarctic expedition cruise operator offering Svalbard and Greenland itineraries with a wildlife-and-conservation positioning that parallels North Sailing's nature-led expedition narrative.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
North Sailing Husavik social profiles
Digital presenceNorth Sailing Husavik compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
North Sailing Husavik financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
North Sailing Husavik leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
North Sailing Husavik funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
North Sailing Husavik M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about North Sailing Husavik
What does North Sailing Husavik do?
North Sailing is a whale watching tour operator based in Húsavík, Iceland, offering 2.5–3 hour whale watching excursions from Húsavík and Árskógssandur on traditional oak boats, electric boat Andvari, and hybrid-electric sailboat Opal. The company also sells multi-day sailing expeditions to Greenland, Svalbard, the Arctic Circle, and Reykjavík-based Northern Lights tours, along with gift cards and combo tours pairing whales with puffins or horses.
Is North Sailing Husavik a public or private company?
North Sailing Husavik is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was North Sailing Husavik founded?
North Sailing Husavik was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is North Sailing Husavik based?
North Sailing Husavik is headquartered in Húsavík, Iceland, in the Europe region.
How does North Sailing Husavik make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Whale Watching Tour Tickets are the primary driver. The others are sailing Expeditions, northern Lights Tours and gift Cards.
Who are North Sailing Husavik's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Elding Whale Watching Reykjavík, Quark Expeditions, Special Tours Iceland, Gentle Giants Whale Watching, Lindblad Expeditions, Húsavík Adventures and North Sailing's Húsavík Original (operator cluster). Broad incumbents are Hurtigruten and Arctic Adventures. Polar Latitudes is listed as an emerging player.
Does North Sailing Husavik have an API?
No public API is recorded for North Sailing Husavik.
What industry is North Sailing Husavik in?
North Sailing Husavik's product category is Marine Wildlife Tourism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAC, Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours, with a secondary code of THAAAIAG, Sailing, Catamaran & Day-Cruise Excursions (nature-focused). Its NAICS code is 4872 and its SIC code is 4400.