The Humpback whale was severely depleted by hunting in the former half of the 20th century but has been protected in Icelandic waters since 1964. This gentle giant is now once more a fairly common sight all around Iceland even well into fjords and bays where they can sometimes be seen breaching and slapping their flippers. They will follow shoals of small fish such as capelin and sometimes cause anger to fishermen when they stray into the purse nets through which they will break, destroying the net and releasing the catch. The Humpback can be found close to Iceland all year round even though it is most commonly seen in the summer.