| Wednesday,
June 6, 2007 It was overcast and about 46˚ F when we were awakened by the alarm this morning. We were just off Djùpivogur, Iceland at the time and by 7:30 AM, we were docked in the harbor. We disembarked the ship at 8:00 AM and boarded buses. Each bus had a local guide on board. Two of the buses were 4WD and would be able to negotiate the mountain roads that we would encounter later in the day. A third bus was not 4WD and its passengers would have to be shuttled at times. Quite by accident, Jacquie and I had the good fortune to select one of the 4WD buses. The buses headed south along the main coastal highway which was a mixture of gravel surface and pavement. Fortunately, it was mostly pavement. The road wound along the base of tall cliffs and across outwash plains with rivers that were milky colored with sediment from the mountains and glaciers. We passed several small sheep farms and many vacation cabins or “huts.” We also saw several places where people were camping on the shore just above the beach. While one or two used tents, most had a small camper or trailer. None of these campsites appeared to be improved with facilities of any kind. We saw many whooper swans, graylag geese, eider ducks and shore birds in the ponds and rivers along the highway. Many of the whoopers sat on nests in marshy areas. On a pass between two low mountains we saw a small herd of wild reindeer grazing not far from the road. Kittiwakes and fulmars, were nesting on ledges up on the cliffs in several places. In general, the landscape gave one the sense of a remote, sparsely settled place so quiet that there was little to disturb either man or wildlife. We stopped at Hofn (pronounced Hoff) for a toilet break after about 100 Km of driving. It is a town of about 2,000 inhabitants. Out local guide, a young woman in her 30s, told us that this was her place of residence and she appeared to be quite proud of the town and praised it as a place to raise a family. We then continued on past Hoffn for about an additional hour. We increasingly could see snowy mountains and an occasional small glacier to our right as we drove down the highway. This was the beginning of the Vatnajökull snow field. About 5 miles from our destination one or both of the other buses pulled off on a side road that leads up onto the snow field. We later would go there but for now, we continued on with an ocean beach on our left and hills ascending to snow fields and glaciers of Vatnajökull on our right. Just ahead with its top hidden in the clouds was Iceland’s tallest mountain, Öræfajökull. Vatnajökull is the largest snow/ice field in all of Iceland and it is the second largest in Europe. It spreads over 3,203 sq mi, among several high mountain peaks in southwestern Iceland. It has several outlet glaciers on its east and southern flanks. We soon pulled off into a graveled parking lot just off the highway at a place called Jökulsárlón where there is a large lagoon at the base of an outlet glacier. I believe that the name of the glacier is Breiôamerkurjôkull. The lake, or lagoon, was separated from the sea by little more than a broad ridge of gravel that perhaps was a former moraine. The lagoon was filled with bergs that varied in size from small chunks to those as large as two or three houses combined. (photo) A small stream that cut through the beach carried excess water to the sea. It was hard to know how much additional melt water merely flowed through the barrier of beach gravel. We waited just a few minutes and then boarded an amphibious vehicle that held 22 people. It actually was a refurbished WWII “duck”. By coincidence, ours was named Jaki! (photo) I have no idea what that means in Icelandic. For the next 30 minutes, we cruised through the lagoon looking at the scenery and the unusual shapes of the floating ice while a concession guide provided commentary. (photos) Needless to say, we took many pictures since there actually was little else to do. At the end of our allotted time, the duck lumbered out of the lagoon and deposited us back at the boarding platform. From there we walked a hundred yards to a small shop that sold souvenirs and hot drinks. While we had a hot drink, we enjoyed the songs of a snow bunting perched on the ridge of the building that housed the shop. (photo) Our guide told us that the lagoon is about 200 meters (~600 ft) deep and that it actually extends inland under the glacier for 20 miles. In one spot under the ice, it is 300 meters (~900 ft) deep. There is considerable concern that an especially severe storm could wash out the beach and allow the salt water to penetrate to the foot of the glacier at the rear of the lagoon. This in turn would cause the glacier to melt and create a 20 mile long very deep fjord. This would forever block the highway and cut off the southeast corner of Iceland from quick access. Once we finished at the lagoon, we boarded our bus and drove back up the highway about five miles. We turned off the highway onto a graveled side road that takes visitors up to the snowfield at the top of one of the outlet glaciers. I believe that its name may have been Skálafellsjôkull. The road up to the top was very steep and demonstrated why the 4WD bus was necessary. There were many sharp turns around a seemingly endless series of switchbacks as we climbed higher and higher. The views were magnificent although low hanging fog clouds obscured some of them. We made one stop to take a few pictures but other than that, the driver just kept creeping along. (photo) Toward the end, we ascended along the face of the outlet glacier and then onto a ridge along its lateral moraine. We eventually reached the end of the road after 45 minutes of driving. Here, we found a small lodge. Immediately inside the lodge was an area to hang jackets and to leave snow boots. The rest of the lodge included a small office/cashier area, a large a dining room and a kitchen. A buffet was set up for our convenience but unfortunately, the service was slow, dishes emptied quickly and not all of the food was available when people passed through the line. But, we eventually had enough to eat. Following lunch, we took some photos of the scenery from a large veranda that ran across the front and one side of the lodge. To the east and north was the Vatnajökullis snowfield which unfortunately was covered with a dense ground fog. (photo) Stretching to the south was the ridge and road we had just traversed and to the west, the ground fell away sharply into a deep ravine whose upper sides were covered with snow. When our group finished with lunch, we were offered out choice of either 30 minutes driving a snowmobile out on the glacier or a ride of comparable length in an enclosed snowcat. With due consideration to the poor visibility, we decided to ride on the snowcat. The snowcat included a tractor component that housed the driver and about six passengers plus a second tracked compartment that was towed by the tractor. It housed about 8 passengers. We walked out to the snowcat which was parked on the snow about 200 ft from the lodge. We climbed into the second compartment and selected seats where we could look out. The machine soon lurched forward and slowly climbed the snowy slope out onto the glacier. The ride was quite bumpy and not very fast. Unfortunately, the fog was so dense that some of the time we could see no more that 50-75 ft. As a result, we had no idea about where we were going. At one point a caravan of four or five snowmobiles sped by headed back in the direction of the lodge. I later learned from somebody who had ridden the snowcat that it basically was a follow-the-leader experience because of the blinding fog. You just hoped that you didn’t lose the guy ahead of you! Our snowcat stopped at one point and we all got out for a “photo op” in the snow. (photo) Eventually, after seeing nothing other that fog and snow, we turned around and the driver took us back to the lodge. Once we were off the glacier, we dropped under the fog bank and again could see the terrain around us. Once everyone had finished with the rides, we boarded the bus and headed back down the very torturous road back to the highway. The driver used his lowest gears much of the time in order to keep our speed slow enough to negotiate the turns and I was again thankful for the 4WD. (photo ) I tried taking a few photos out the window as we drove down but few turned out to be satisfactory. Once we reached the coastal highway, we headed north toward Djùpivogur. The ride back basically was a repeat of the morning’s ride. We stopped at Hofn for a toilet break only this time, we prevailed on our guide to take us on a bus tour through the town. It was a very neat and clean place with many modern homes and other buildings. There was a large public sports facility for all residents to use that included a heated swimming pool. Fishing is an important industry in Hoffn like many other towns in Iceland and there is a memorial to fishermen at the harbor entrance. We asked why Endeavour had not docked here since it was much closer to Vatnajökullis than was Djùpivogur. The reason is that the harbor is quite shallow and in addition, a breakwater makes it very difficult for larger ships to make the turns into the channel. It just was simpler and safer to dock at Djùpivogur. We continued on our way and reached Djùpivogur and the Endeavour about 7:00 PM. Endeavour weighed anchor almost immediately after we all were on board and headed northward toward our destination for tomorrow, the remote Langanes Peninsula at the northeastern corner of Iceland. Dinner tonight featured cuisine from the Philippine Islands. Most of the waiters in the dining room are from the Philippines and they advised on the selection of dishes. The food was quite good, especially the flan that we had for dessert. My only complaint is that I am not eating enough food. Because I have recently experienced considerable weight loss, I have planned to eat well on this trip and to gain some weight. But, I don’t believe that is happening to date. I just haven’t been especially hungry, especially at lunch time. Plus, I haven’t really taken to the Endeavour’s cuisine for whatever reason. Our tour director announced on the PA system just after dinner that the ship was making a slight alteration of course so that we could sail by a small island ahead where one of the naturalists had just sighted a lot of bird activity. I grabbed my binoculars and went up on deck wearing just my heavy sweater. The change of course turned out to be well worth while. There were about 1,000 pairs of gannets nesting along the cliffs and hundreds more were flying abut in the air. (photo) We could also see that there were many puffin burrows along the cliffs but only a few of these birds were around. Jacquie and I were standing up at the bow of the ship when a gannet approached, set its wings and just rode the updraft along the bow of the ship for a couple of minutes. It was only 10-12 ft from us and was beautiful with its all white body, golden-color head and 6 ft wing span. We didn’t have the presence of mind to try for its picture but instead, just stood there enjoying the sight. We had watched the “aerial circus” for about 20 minuets when I realized that I was getting very cold without a windbreaker on. I went to the cabin to get something warmer but by the time I returned, we had passed on by and he show was over. We started getting ready for bed and were under the covers by 11:30 PM. It had been a long day but one that was full of new and exciting things to see and do. We are so far north by now that it remains light the whole night. It is necessary to draw the drapes and for me to wear a mask so it’s dark enough to sleep.
Return to Table of Contents Thursday, June 7, 2007 We awakened this morning to bright and mostly sunny skies. The seas were relatively calm with neither significant swells nor chop. There were a few high thin clouds drifting about but they weren’t of any significance. We slept well last night but I am quite stiff this morning, probably from the long hours on the bus as well as the chill I caught when we sailed by the gannet island. We got ready for breakfast which was served at 7:00 AM. By 7:15, the Endeavour was nearing a landing site on the Langanes peninsula. Our staff people already were out in a zodiac checking for potential landing sites. If they find that the beach is OK, we’ll land about 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM. The Langanes peninsula is very remote and even our Iceland guide Ragnar has never been here. We were quite fortunate to have a chance to see this area. Following is information about the Langanes peninsula that I took from our daily briefing sheet.
We went on shore in stages between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. Three levels of hikes were offered; one for people only interested in covering ground, one for birders and one for those who merely wanted to wander around the beach site. We elected to try the birding hike due to our long-standing birding hobby. The seas were no problem in boarding the zodiac and the wet landing was very easy on the sandy beach. However, large rocks and lots of driftwood above the beach made it difficult to reach the level terrain above. There was an abandoned farm place or perhaps a small village at the landing site. It apparently had no name although there were remnants of a graveled road that led off across the peninsula to somewhere. The buildings that once had been here were fallen down and now were just a jumble of logs and sod. They appeared to have been constructed of drift logs, large rocks and sod but it was hard to discern much about how they might have appeared in their original state. The whole site was overgrown by clumps of long grass and walking was quite difficult. (photo) Although we could have removed our rubber boots at the landing site, we had elected to keep them on and this turned out to have been a good decision because of the variable nature of the terrain. We started out walking with the birding group and saw several things of interest including a lonely grave site. At one point while we still were hiking with the group, we saw a small herd of horses trotting across the hillside about a mile away. While they looked like they might be wild, Ragnar surmised that somebody owned them and that they merely were pastured out here for the summer. The general outlook as we hiked along was that indeed, this was a remote area. It was quiet and devoid of any recent signs of human activity save for the road itself. There were plenty of birds to be seen but the emphasis of the group seemed to be of getting on down the road and each sighting was given no more that a minute or two. Too often, the group was already moving on about the time we spotted the bird of interest! This was distinctly different from the birding strategy we were used to and we quickly fell far behind the group. We finally decided to give up and walk at our own pace and enjoy whatever we could see by ourselves. The terrain was rolling and open with low hills off on both sides of the road and ahead. There was a gradual incline to a low ridge along the center of the peninsula. A lake of several acres area lay off to our right. Several square miles were open and visible to us. There was no danger of getting lost or of finding our way back to the landing site so we weren’t bothered by not staying with our hiking group. We strolled along studying at various flowers that were quite abundant in the area and looking for the many birds that were hiding in the vegetation. (photo) We were more successful with the former than the latter and we saw only a few birds. Of special note was a purple sandpiper just off the road that had at least 5 chicks hidden here and there in the tall grass. We finally decided to begin circling back to the landing site via the shores of the lake that we could see from the road. But once we were about 100 feet away from the road, we found that the terrain was composed of large mounds of bunch grass with deep furrows between. The presence of large moss and lichen covered rocks hidden among the grass made the footing even more difficult. We finally gave up and returned to the road via a small trail that probably had been made by the horses that we saw earlier. We then followed the road back to the landing site and reached there about 11:00 AM. By that time the hiking groups were coming back and it was time to return to the ship. We donned our life vests and took one of the waiting zodiacs back to the ship. I decided to take a nap after lunch and had just laid down when the PA announced that a whale had been sighted ahead of the ship. I took my binoculars and excitedly went to the bridge since this was our first whale sighting. The whale, which was a humpback, was only a short distance in front of the ship, maybe 100-200 yards. The Captain had throttled back the ship so that it was making only 2-3 knots which was slow enough that the whale remained just ahead of us. It was feeding and repeatedly surfaced to inhale fresh air and then made shallow dives to gather in more food. It was so close that one often could see the white of its long flippers as it cruised below the surface on its feeding dives. The Captain told us that his objective was to anticipate where the whale was headed and in addition, to try to keep the ship in a position where the whale could see it. He tried to avoid getting directly behind or in front of the whale where it would have difficulty seeing us with its eyes that actually are set in the side of the head. That way, the whale could feel comfortable with the presence of the ship. Apparently the captain achieved his objectives for the whale continued to swim along feeding for about 30 minutes before it sounded and disappeared. With that, I returned to our cabin and took my delayed nap. I went upstairs at 3:00 PM to listen to Ragnar’s talk on the history of Iceland. It was informative but like with other lectures, I had already read much of the information in the briefing book that I compiled before the trip. Still, it was good review and gave me something to do on an otherwise boring afternoon. I returned to the cabin and took another nap since I still was drowsy. This one lasted until 6:00 PM when I decided we should get up and go upstairs for the daily debriefing and happy hour. After that, it was time for dinner. The Endeavour had been cruising all afternoon along the Arctic Circle. Its destination was the small island of Grimsey. The goal was to reach there during early evening and to offer those passengers who were interested an opportunity to land onto the island and walk to the Arctic Circle. Once there, they would celebrate the event with a toast at 12:00 AM. Following is what our briefing sheet had to say about Grimsey.
It was still daylight when we reached Grimsey, a beautiful evening with clear skies and calm winds, a rarity for this time of year in the nothern latitudes. There were dozens of fulmars sitting on the water splashing and preening. There was little to see of Grimsey from the ship save for a small lighthouse and some dwellings. (photo) Jacquie and I discussed joining the group for the on-shore walk to the Arctic Circle but we decided stay on the ship. We have crossed the Arctic Circle several times during the past 20 years and have pictures that show us standing at signs commemorating the event at different locations. There was little to be gained by staying up very late tonight just to add another to the collection. So we retired early and saved our energy for what we knew was going to be a long day tomorrow. The next day, those people who did go on shore described it as a wonderful experience. And, I can imagine this would have enjoyed the experience had we participated. But, we also enjoyed the sleep time!
Return to Table of Contents Friday, June 8, 2007 When we awakened, we had just arrived in the harbor at Húsavik on Iceland’s north coast. Húsavik is a fishing town of about 2500 people on the shore of Skjalfándi Bay. It is a medium-size town by Iceland standards with some good-sized buildings situated in the downtown area along the waterfront. Húsavik is a popular destination for whale watching in the offshore waters of Skjalfándi Bay. The town appears to have been built on a moraine at the mouth of a glacial valley and it is ringed by mountains. The overall ambience of blue water, green land, snowy mountains and brightly painted buildings is quite pleasant and beautiful. (photo) Today’s agenda calls for us to visit a local whaling museum for an hour and to then board buses. Our destination at the end of the day will be Akureyri, a town on down the coast to the west of Húsavik. There will be several stops at points of interest in between. The trip will take us all day since we will spend much time sightseeing. The ship will reposition to Akureyri today and we will meet it there late this afternoon. We disembarked Endeavour right after breakfast and walked about a half mile around the waterfront to the whaling museum, stopping on the way to photograph some wildflowers along the road. (photo) The museum was housed in an old warehouse that was sitting vacant until recently when it was restored for this purpose. We entered the warehouse on the second level after climbing a circular iron staircase from an adjacent alley. We spent a few minutes wandering around inside on second floor where we had entered the building. There were some wonderful exhibits about whales and the early whaling industry Before we could spend significant time viewing these exhibits, we were summoned to a lecture on the next floor up. We learned here that Húsavik is considered to be the whale watching capitol of Iceland. The industry was started 20 years ago and is now a 1.5 billion dollar contributor to Iceland’s economy. Three specially modified boats are docked in the harbor and used exclusively for whale watching cruises. Most whale watching occurs in the bay just outside the harbor. The museum was built about 10 years ago to accommodate interests of the visitors to the town. Following the lecture, we wandered along a loft outside the lecture hall where we could look directly at the complete skeletons of several different kinds of whales that were suspended from the ceiling. It was very interesting. Unfortunately, we soon were called to board the buses so we had to leave. Like so many other visits to museums on this trip, our viewing was cut short before we could fully enjoy the exhibits on display. It seems like we spend to little time on too many different things! We drove through the town itself for a few minute. We passed its landmark old church, a few businesses and then a geothermal plant that supplies heating for all residents of the town. We then headed south from Húsavik initially following what appeared to be either a river valley or something carved by glaciers a long time ago. This was farming country that was very green with large well-kept farms which appeared to mostly grow hay and cattle. At one point, we passed several large greenhouses that were heated by geothermal energy. Out guide commented that all greenhouses in Iceland, of which there are many, are heated by geothermal energy. Where geothermal energy is not available, there are no greenhouses. The highway soon reached the end of this valley and climbed a ridge where we found ourselves in an area almost totally devoid of vegetation. The soil was thin and sandy and somewhat like a moonscape in appearance. But, that soon changed as we headed down into the broad valley where Lake Myvatn was located. This area was quite green with low vegetation but had much more evidence of recent volcanic action. In addition to grasslands, there were areas of low-growing native beech trees as well as plantings of Russian larch and other introduced climate-tolerable species from New Zealand and South America. There also were areas where recent lava flows had left the terrain covered with clinkers and other lava forms. (photo) What looked like small cinder cones pockmarked the landscape. In the distance to the west, we saw snow-covered mountains that were flat on top indicating they probably were volcanoes that had formed under a long-gone ice sheet. There many of these flat-topped table mountains in Iceland where they are knows as “tuyas.” The general outlook was fascinating to those interested in geology. We stopped about 11:00 for a toilet break at a small hotel and restaurant complex. Next to this was a small village that had been nearly surrounded and partially inundated by a lava flow about 100 years ago. A church that stands beside the hotel parking area is considered to be very important since it is believed that it was the prayers of the villagers that saved it from the lava. Across the highway, we could see Lake Myvatn and many of the unusual rock formations for which it is famous. We continued on down the highway for a couple of miles and then turned off on a side road that took us out on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Myvatn. I believe that the place was named Kàlfaströnd. On both sides, there were large lava rock formations with unique shapes along the shores as well as standing in the water. From the vantage point of high ground, we could see that the lake is approximately circular and perhaps 5-8 Km in diameter. The bus parked in a designated area and we prepared to disembark for a hike along the lake so that we could examine the rock formations and view the flora and fauna. We were admonished to apply some bug spray before leaving the bus. Myvatn in Icelandic essentially means “midge” and as soon as we left the vehicle we were beset upon by hundreds of the insects swarming about our face and any exposed skin surface. They went behind our glasses, up our nose, into our ears and crawled on our hands. They quite fortunately didn’t bite and that was a blessing. But, insect repellent did little good. We envied the few members of our group who were wearing hats with insect netting that fitted over their face. The rest of us just had to plod along brushing the midges from our face while trying to enjoy the scenery. The leaders were walking too fast, probably to escape the midges and I finally gave up trying to maintain the pace. So, I just walked along at my own speed and stopped to look at those things in which I was interested. I quit worrying whether I was missing comments from the naturalists. We followed a trail that was about 1 to 1-1/2 mile in length. It wound along the lake’s edge and eventually circled back to the bus. This gave us opportunity to marvel at the large lava formations standing along the shore. There was little breeze so we had some wonderful reflections of these pillars on the surface of the water. ( photo ) One advantage of all of the midges is that they provide food for both fish and wildfowl. Lake Myvatn is one of the best trout and salmon lakes in all of Iceland and is home to at least 15 species of ducks. I was fortunate to spot a Slovenian grebe as well as many common goldeneye. The latter are very prevalent at Lake Myvatn where they are called “house ducks” because of their willingness to nest right around the farms and homes. There also were many flowers in bloom as was a type of small willow whose blooms reminded me of our pussy willows as home. (photo) The midges made the walk anything but pleasant. However toward the end, we were on higher ground and could catch a bit of breeze. This significantly reduced the midge assaults. Throughout all of the walk, the weather was overcast but devoid of rain or mist for which we were thankful. We returned about 12:00 PM and boarded the bus, finally reaching safe haven from the midges. Our local guide admonished us not to smash the midges on the windows. It was tempting as an act of revenge. But, the consequences of smashing them would be a sticky smear that was very hard for the driver to remove. So, most of us complied and very soon the midges in the bus became inactive and most soon died and fell to the floor. We drove about three or four miles to a hotel on the western shore of the lake where we had lunch. The hotel, while modest in size, had a large and very nice dining room with a magnificent view of the lake. The tables were set with linen and nice china and the table waiters were formally dressed. We were expected and tables were waiting for us. Our lunch started with a cream soup and progressed to a filet of trout (pink), steamed broccoli, baked rolls and apple pie. All of the food was delicious and it was easily one of the very best meals of the whole trip! We were entertained all through the meal by a red-winged thrush that repeatedly came and perched on the railing of a balcony just outside the dining room. All around the hotel area as well as at many places near the lake, we saw small cone-shaped mounds perhaps 50-75 ft high and as much as 200-300 ft in diameter. We had assumed these were small volcanic cinder cones until we found a sign board that explained their origin. They formed after lava overran marshy ground around the lake. The hot lava heated the underlying water and turned it into super-hot steam. Intense pressure was generated and eventually blew through the lava as an ash-filled hot steam eruption. The eruptions eventually formed the cones we were seeing. Since the available water was limited, the cones never grew to great size. We later saw many of them in our travels about Iceland. We drove back up the highway after lunch in the direction we had come from earlier in the day. Lake Myvatn now was lying on our left. Along the way, we drove past a smooth, classically-shaped volcanic cone on our right known as Haverfjall. It formed during eruptions about 2,500 years ago. Although only several hundred feet high, its dark black color and immense size make it an impressive sight sitting virtually alone on the landscape. We continued on for 2-3 miles and then turned right on a short road to Dimmuborgir. Dimmuborgir is a badlands of lava pillars to the east of Lake Myvatn. The area once was a “lake” of molten basalt. The basalt cooled and then crusted over on the top to form a hard surface. Eventually, the molten lava underneath found an exit and drained out leaving the hardened rocky surface as a “roof” and a few tall pillars of basalt that had hardened around steam vents blasting through the lava lake. The roof eventually collapsed leaving only the pillars and piles of rubble that were remnants of the former ceiling. Some of the pillars reach 65 feet in height. The result is the badlands that today are known as Dimmuborgir. By now, a forest of stunted birch trees has grown on the floor of the badlands to create a “sunken forest.” (photo) The park service has built several paths that visitors can follow through the area. An overlook at the top lets one view the entire area of Dimmuborgir and the sunken forest. We started out with several members of our group who elected to walk the paths in the forest. We quickly fell behind when we stopped to examine some of the vegetation and geological formations for which the area is famous. (photo) We soon decided to forget the “long” hike group and walk at our own leisure. From this point on, we had a very enjoyable walk stopping to examine some very interesting vegetation such as a low-growing tree that merely crawled along the ground never getting more that 3-4 inches high. (photo) We ended our walk at a high overlook by the parking lot. (photo) We hadn’t seen all the things that the “long walk” offered but we had seen well many of the things along the distance we traversed. Our next destination Haverarond, an area of fumaroles and mud pots a few miles to the northeast. We headed back toward Húsavik and then turned right off the main highway and headed east up a hill passing some type of mineral extraction plant on our left. We topped out on a pass over a ridge of low hills and immediately saw Haverarond on our right. It was an area that ran for 2/3-3/4 mile along the base of the ridge and was pocked with fumaroles, hot springs and mud pots. Many of these were steaming in the cold air. There also were several bore holes that were sending jets of steam 30-50 feet into the air. They had been drilled many years ago with intent to put the steam to some useful purpose. But, the venture fell through and nobody tried to cap them. To this day, they spew their hot steam into the air. We turned right at the foot of the hill onto a service road and then into a large parking lot provided for the convenience of visitors to the sight. A couple of signs provided information about the area and warned of the dangers of the hot water and steam. The soil in the area was cream-color but was stained various shades of yellow, red and black from minerals in the water and steam exuding from the ground. (photo) A path led to areas where it was possible to view up close the bubbling mud pots, the hot springs and other geological events in the area. The smell of hydrogen sulfide - like rotten eggs- hung heavy in the air. We took photos and wandered around for about 30 minutes before returning to the bus. (photos) We next drove about a half-mile east and then turned north on a road that leads to a geothermal power plant. We could see the plant about 3 miles ahead. There were billows of steam rising into the air from bore holes in its vicinity. Construction was initially started on the plant about 20 years ago over the objections of scientists who were concerned about the geological stability of the area. Shortly after construction began and a lot of money had been invested, there was a major earthquake and eruption of a volcanic vent a mile or two to the north. The plant construction had to be shut down for a considerable time waiting for the volcanic activity to quiet down. The plant eventually was built but new bore holes had to be drilled and the cost inflated greatly. The plant continues to be a “political football” in Iceland. I was amazed at the number of bore holes that had been sunk to support the plant and there were pipes leading to the it from spots all over the valley and the surrounding hillsides. Construction now has begun on an expansion of the plant and drilling is continuing in the area. We drove on past the plant to the top of a ridge that opened into a broad plain. A large lava field that is the remnant of the recent volcanic eruption stretched across part of the plain. An explosion crater filled with water was on a hillside overlooking the area. This is Viti, a popular site for tourists. (photo) Viti’s elevation was 600 meters (~1,800 ft). It was very chilly and windy so we only walked up to the crater and took some pictures and then hurried back to the bus. It quickly departed. The bus headed in a generally northwesterly direction bound for Akureyri. We first stopped for a short toilet break at a filling station near where we had eaten lunch. It now was almost 5:00 PM. We drove through sparsely settled country with few dwellings but a lot of sheep. The countryside was covered with short grass and tundra-like vegetation with many streams and rivers cutting across the landscape. We soon crossed over a high ridge and dropped down into a valley where we came to Godafoss, one of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland. The falls are about 30 meters high on a broad, rapidly flowing river that I believe is named Skjálfandafljót. (photo) The river above the falls is broad and full of rapids as it flows down a broad valley from snowy mountains in the far distance. Below the falls, the river flows through a narrow cataract only 50-75 ft wide with violent wave action and much froth and spume. (photo) It then flows under both a foot and a highway bridge and broadens out into a relative peaceful, rapidly flowing stream. There are various versions of how Godafoss got its name. But the one that was communicated to us by our guide follows.
We boarded the bus after taking pictures and continued on toward Akureyri while driving through valleys carved by glaciers and always in sight of snowy mountains. Many streams and small rivers tumbled down the mountainsides. The day had turned out to be sunny and quite pleasant. We finally came to a fjord bordered by high mountains where we turned inland toward its end several miles distant. We increasingly encountered small farms and dwellings along the fjord and finally, could see Akureyri on the opposite shore. Akureyri with a population of about 16,000 persons actually is the second largest city in Iceland behind Reykjavik. The Endeavour was tied up at the dock waiting for us. A medium-size cruise ship of about 300-500 passenger capacity was docked near it. We soon came to a causeway that crossed the fjord near its upper end and passed by the small municipal airport which accommodates 5-6 flights per day from Reykjavik. We next came to “Old Akureyri” which was only one street wide and was nestled between the mountainside and the bay. The street was lined with old Danish houses that were about 100 years old. There also were a few Norwegian “catalog houses” that once could be ordered prefabricated from Norway and then assembled on site. We finally arrived at the newer part of town which had more modern buildings. It was situated on a former grain field between the hills and fjord. We drove directly through town to the pier where Endeavour was berthed, By now, it was almost 7:00 PM. There was a short briefing in the lounge concerning tomorrow’s activities following which we all trouped into the dining room for dinner. Some people walked into town following dinner to see what there was to see. Others stayed up to see the midnight sunset and sunrise which now occur at virtually the same time. Jacquie and I merely showered and went to bed. It had been an 11 hour day and I was getting quite stiff as a result of riding in the bus for so many hours. The several hikes we had taken did little to help the stiffness and in fact, probably contributed to it.
Return to Table of Contents Saturday, June 9, 2007 We had remained docked in Akureyri all night and were still tied up at the pier this morning when out alarm went off about 6:30 AM. It was very foggy, about 10˚ C and a light breeze was coming up the fjord. A choice of a walk to the local arboretum or an opportunity to go horseback riding was offered following breakfast. Departure for the former was 9:00 AM and the latter, 8:45 AM. Endeavour was scheduled to depart at 11:00 AM to sail for the small town of Siglufjördur located near the mouth of the fjord. This actually left little time to do anything significant on shore. Jacquie felt like she was coming down with a cold. So, after discussing the choices, we decided to stay on board the ship and do neither activity. We contented ourselves with viewing the town near the waterfront from the ship using our binoculars. Following is an excerpt from our daily program announcement that tells about Akureyri.
The fog persisted throughout the morning. Jacquie took a nap until about 11:00 PM while I scanned through a copy of the June 2007 National Geographic Magazine that was in our cabin. There still was too much fog to see much of anything when Endeavour weighed anchor at 11:00 AM. We listened to a lecture presented by Ian Sanderson titled “Confessions of an English Thief.” Ian was one of our passengers now living in Australia. The lecture was about his experiences as a fisherman out of Hull, England during the period 1955-1959. His descriptions about fishing in Arctic waters and the “Cod Wars” were very interesting. Added to this was his ability to mimic the talk of the fishermen as he told his tales. We found his presentation to be delightful. We then had a leisurely lunch while we awaited Endeavour’s docking in Siglufjördur which was scheduled for about 3:00 PM. We went to the bridge about 2:30 PM in hopes of viewing our docking in Siglufjördur but the fog was so dense that we could hardly see the bow of the ship. However, the radar image showed that we were at the mouth of the fjord just outside our destination and we could get a glimpse of the sun as a bright round disk overhead. We soon began to get off and on views of a mountain to the port side as the fog thinned and then thickened again. Suddenly, the fog almost completely disappeared and there was Siglufjördur just to starboard nestled on a narrow strip of land at the foot of towering cliffs. The view was absolutely magnificent. The Captain began to maneuver the Endeavour toward a dock in a small harbor area that seemed hardly longer that the ship and almost entirely enclosed by jetties. He carefully eased the ship into the harbor and then, using his bow and stern thrusters, carefully turned the ship sidewise and nudged it against the dock. I was amazed at the maneuverability of the Endeavour and the seamanship of the Captain and crew in making this complicated docking. While all of this was going on, a dozen or more automobiles with people arrived at the dock to watch. We also could see people looking the windows of some of the town’s buildings. I guess the arrival of a ship provided entertainment for the town's residents. It reminded me that when I was young boy, our family used to drive down to the railroad depot in Fremont, Nebraska to watch the trains come through town on the Union Pacific Railway! All passengers disembarked as soon as the ship was docked and either walked or rode in waiting buses to the Herring Museum located about a mile on down the shoreline from the ship. We had opportunity to take a look at the town on the way. Siglufjördur is the northernmost town in Iceland and it sits along a narrow strip of land on the west shore of a small fjord bearing the same name. The town presently has about 1600 residents and is one of the most remote communities in Iceland. The settlement has developed around one of the country's best natural harbors. Fishing and processing marine products provide the principal source of employment. Few towns in Iceland can match the dramatic history of Siglufjördur and the town has alternately soared and plunged with the fortunes of the fisheries industry. To us, Siglufjördur looked busy and reasonably prosperous. The homes were well maintained and brightly painted. (photo) The few businesses located in the harbor area seemed to be busy. And, then there is the scenery. It can only be described as being magnificent. The day we visited, it was bright and sunny, the hillsides were green and many flowers were in bloom. The bay was bright blue and sparkled in the sunlight. (photo) It truly seemed to be a delightful place although I am sure it has another side when it is cloudy, cold and rainy, which is more typical of the climate in this remote northern corner of Iceland. The Herring Museum, our destination for this afternoon, is a recently completed community project to commemorate the once bustling industry in herring processing that made Siglufjördur one of the most important cities in Iceland. During those days, many tons of herring were caught offshore and then unloaded to be processed into meal, oil and other products. The population of Siglufjördur annually soared during the herring season as hundreds, if not thousands, of people came to the community to work in the fish processing industry. After the herring fishing industry crashed in the 1960s, the factories closed and gradually were dismantled. The museum was modelled on the Grána herring reduction factory that operated in Siglufjördur between 1919 and 1950. To create it, old equipment had to be found, transported to Siglufjördur and then reassembled. The museum actually consists of three separate buildings; one is a big warehouse that is set up inside as a model of the original harbor complete with a fishing boat, nets and all sorts of paraphernalia used by the fishermen. The next building is devoted to showing how the fish were processed and converted into herring meal and oil. It contains large cookers, dryers and other equipment one would find in a factory devoted to this purpose. The third building showed how the workers lived and also how women prepared the herring that were sold in barrels as salted or pickled herring. The Curator of the museum led us on a tour that began with the catching of the fish and ended up in the third building where we saw how the “herring girls” lived and worked. I must admit that I was skeptical about the idea of touring a herring museum before we began. My skepticism was completely dispelled during the tour and this turned out to be one of the most informative and interesting events of our cruise! Near the end of the tour, we were invited to a “tasting” of several types of pickled herring, schnapps and locally baked breads. This was held out on the deck of the third museum building which made a delightful setting for the event. (photo) A piano accordion provided music and there were several people from the community joined us for informal conversation about the town and museum exhibits. Finally, a group of local residents dressed in costumes of the period put on a demonstration of how the “herring girls’ and others lived, worked and played. This was complete with a musical performance and dancing. (photo)) In the very end, the performers got us visitors, even myself, to dance to the music. We all had a great time and very much appreciated all of the effort of the townspeople in making this a great event. There was plenty of time both before and after the tour to take pictures of the town and the beautiful harbor. We even were able to photograph a family of eider ducks that were hanging out just across the road from the museum. (photo) We walked back to the ship after the performance and reached there well before the scheduled departure at 6:00 PM. Once all were back on board, the Endeavour carefully turned in the small harbor until its bow was headed out the narrow entry and then headed down the fjord to the open sea just beyond. Almost immediately, we were back in the fog which remained dense all the way through the dinner hour. Just as dinner was ending, the ship sailed out of the fog bank and into an area where there was good visibility and almost no wind. There was a high broken overcast and because we were so far north, it was still daylight in spite of the time being almost 9:00 PM. Almost immediately, the PA system announced that whales and dolphins had been sighted ahead of the ship. Jacquie and I picked up our binoculars and jackets and headed for a good viewing area at the bridge. I never got that far for when I reached the outdoor deck just outside the lounge, I could see three or four pods of humpback whales on the surface off our port bow. I watched them for about 20 minutes while they cavorted on the surface blowing vapor, flipper slapping, diving and just cruising along the surface of the very calm sea. It was quite obvious that their dives were very shallow since they returned to the surface in just a few minutes. This suggested they were feeding at a shallow depth. There were a few dolphins among them but I did not give them much of my attention. From what I could hear of talk coming from the bow area, I was aware that there were also whales in front and on the starboard side as well. But, I had a good show where I was and didn’t want to leave. Then, the PA system announced that there would be a “spur of the moment” zodiac cruise for those who wished to view the whales from a closer distance. We had 20 minutes to be ready. Jacquie and I took the opportunity and returned to the cabin to get on warm clothes. We were in the zodiac with 6 others and an naturalist driver well inside the 20 minute limit! But, we unfortunately forgot to bring our cameras! That might have been a blessing since instead of worrying about when to take the next picture, we could just enjoy the whales and the scenery. For the next 60-90 minutes we followed several different pods of whales, staying with each one until they sounded or we lost them and then switching to another. (photos) Much of the time we were so close to the whales that we could hear their huffs and puffs as they exhaled and inhaled air. (photo) Several times, one resurfaced just a few feet from the zodiac and it was at such times that our craft seemed very small indeed. A frisky calf in one pod had a very characteristic whistle when it exhaled. It also thrashed its flukes back and forth as it sounded. This juvenile made me just a bit apprehensive when he did this within 8-10 ft of the zodiac. It seemed like whales were everywhere within our field of view which encompassed several square miles. Our naturalists later estimated that there were as many as 50 whales in the immediate area during the time we were out on the zodiacs. I personally believe this was a conservative estimate. We were joined at one point by four white-beaked dolphins, the farthest north ranging species of dolphins. They swam along beside the zodiac crisscrossing back and forth as if inviting us to race. The water was so clear that we often could see them flashing their white sides as they swam beneath the surface just a foot or two from the zodiac. In their exuberance, they occasionally would jump clear of the surface just a few feet away. They continued to follow us for about 10 minutes and then departed although we continued to see them breaking the surface a hundred or so yards away. Not long before we quit for the evening, we spied something green floating on the surface of the water. Even from a distance, it didn’t look natural and our zodiac driver decided to go over to take a look. That was a good decision for it turned out to be a large piece of a trawler’s net that had somehow been torn loose and was floating just below the surface. It could have meant death to any humpback whale or dolphin that became entangled in it. The driver and two Endeavour crew members who were riding in the zodiac laboriously pulled it on board. It must have weighed 300-500 lbs in total. We took it back to the Endeavour with us as our contribution to maintaining the integrity of the environment. Although we marveled at being able to view these whales up close during the zodiac cruise, we also highly valued the experience of just being out on the water and taking in the marvelous evening view. The surface of the sea was nearly smooth and thousands of birds, mostly fulmars, were resting on the water preening and occasionally splashing as they took baths. Off to the southwest was the rugged shoreline of this very remote northwestern coast of Iceland and behind that were the snow-covered mountains. High scattered clouds covered the sky and added to the general ambience of quiet and solitude. The late evening sun in the northwest added a golden glow beneath the clouds. (photo) And, in all directions, we could see spouts from humpbacked whales exhaling as they surfaced following their feeding dives. Here and there zodiacs from the Endeavour stood out in bold relief against the late evening sunset. All of this made the evening a memorable experience. After being out on the water for more than an hour, it was time to return to the ship. The zodiacs had to wait their turn as each disembarked its passengers. By the time we returned to our cabin, it was after 11:00 PM. I was quite chilled and it wasn’t until I stood up in the zodiac preparatory to stepping onto the boarding platform that I fully realized how stiff and cold I had become. The excitement of the evening’s events had made us totally oblivious of the cold. We cleaned up and finally made it to bed about 12:00 PM. Unfortunately, our schedule for tomorrow called for us to go on shore at 9:00 AM so we had to set the alarm for 6:45 AM. Return to Table of Contents Sunday, June 10, 2007 When we woke up this morning at 6:45 AM, it was about 50 ˚ F with high, broken clouds and a very light wind. The Endeavour passed the cliffs of Mt. Hornbjarg around 6:30 AM. I heard the call on the PA offering a chance to observe it but I was too tired to get up after only 6 hours of sleep. The Hornbjarg Cliffs are one of the greatest seabird habitats of the Iceland, with the highest peak reaching 534m (1,762 ft) above sea level. The Hornbjarg Cliffs are part of a remote peninsula called the Westfjords that makes up the far northwestern part Iceland. The part east of the sheer cliffs is called East-Hornstrandir and consequently the part west of the cliffs is West-Hornstrandir. This area was inhabited until the beginning of the 20th century however the settlements and farms now have all been abandoned. The entire area along with the adjacent cove, Adalvik, and nearby bay, Jokulfjords, was declared a nature reserve in 1975. This morning, we had our choice of either going on shore for a choice of hikes or to go kayaking which also was being offered because the seas were quite calm. We decided on he former option since kayaking requires one to sit on the bottom of the kayak with legs outstretched, something that my back problem will not allow for more that 5-10 minutes. Besides, there should be many things to see on shore in the way of flora and fauna and this interests us more. The Endeavour anchored a bit before 9:00 AM in Fljotavik Bay, a protected spot at the mouth of a glacier carved valley on West-Hornstrandir. The zodiacs began shuttling people to the shore almost immediately. Since there was no jetty, this would be a wet landing so we wore our knee-high rubber boots and rain pants in addition to sweaters and windbreakers. The sky still was overcast but gave promise of clearing as the morning progressed. The ride in to the shore took only about 10 minutes. We disembarked via the bow end of the zodiacs into water about 3-5 in deep on a high sandy beach. We climbed to level ground at the top of the beach where we took off our life vests – a must wear piece of gear anytime we went in a zodiac – and had our first look at the surrounding area. (photo) Ahead of us was a bowl-shaped valley about a mile wide that extended back into the mountains for two or more miles. (photo) Near the back of the valley and close to the foot of the mountains, was lake of several acres in area. Between us and the lake were what appeared to be a series of “fossil” beaches composed of areas of sand thrown up by the waves interspersed with bands of round water-worn cobbles, probably also deposited during winter storms. Most of the sandy hummocks in the old beach areas were covered with short grass and other plants, lichens and a variety of flowers. A small stream cut through these beaches to connect the lake with the ocean. Here and there throughout the area of the old beaches were nearly-dry channels or sloughs that may been carved by the stream or were “relics” of old shores suddenly cut off by deposition of sand during storms. Small “hanging valleys” along the side of the main valley attested to where feeder glaciers were located in colder times. To our surprise, there were several cabins sited on higher ground around on side of the valley. These appeared to be vacation cabins or summer homes although no roads led into the valley. By the time we reached the shore, the “high energy” hikers had already departed for the top of the nearby cliffs where they might be able to look down on puffin nests. We elected to go with Ian Bullock on a walk through the areas behind the beach. By now, the sun was beginning to break through the clouds and was creating interesting patters of light and shade on the mountainsides. (photo) We strolled along stopping to look at various small things that Ian pointed out. The tracks of arctic foxes crisscrossed the area. Ian pointed out how the fox places his feet consecutively in the same place, one after the other as he walks. This makes a single line of footprints and enables the fox to conserve energy, especially in snow or on wet ground. We saw many whooper swan tracks in the muddy areas of the sloughs and at one point, a small flight of 5-6 of these birds flew low over us honking loudly as they passed. I had hoped to see some land birds. We did see and hear a whimbrel and three ringed plovers near the wet areas. We also stopped to observe several different clumps of wild flowers, some with very interesting blossoms. (photo) There also was a green leafy plant just emerging that once was eaten as a source of vitamin C by the settlers of the area. Just before we reached the lake, we came upon a flattened area a hundred yards long that was quite smooth. There was a windsock fluttering weakly in the slight morning breeze on one side of this area. A drum roller about 3 ft long by 2 ft in diameter lay on the ground beside the windsock. Quite obviously, we had found an airstrip here in this remote area. That recalled in our minds the cabins we had seen. All of this then fit. This was one way people could get to these small cabins from the outside! Later, when we got back to the beach, I saw something at the far end that I had overlooked when we landed; a large pile of fresh lumber and parked near it was a 4WD all-terrain vehicle. Someone was building yet another cabin and the lumber had been offloaded onto the shore from a ship. So, this remote bit of Paradise wasn’t quite as isolated as we had thought before our walk. We stayed on shore for about 1-1/2 hr and then returned to the beach to board a zodiac returning to the ship. We were back on board by 11:10 AM. By now, my back was hurting big time from walking all morning in the rubber boots. As soon as I shucked my heavy outdoor clothes, I hit the bed to rest until lunch time. I could hardly stand as I worked my way through the buffet line during lunch. Fortunately, by the time I finished eating, my noon dose of methadone had started to work and I was able to walk without discomfort. Both Jacquie and I took naps after lunch while Endeavour was being repositioned further down the Westfjords Peninsula to Vigur Island located in a large bay known as Isafjordur. Jacquie’s cold has worsened and she has been coughing and was very hoarse this morning. I am being very conscientious about washing my hands every time I return to our cabin. I also am using the disinfectant that is available in the halls and at the entrance to the dining room. I’m hoping to avoid catching it her cold but, I figure the odds are not good. We arrived off Vigur Island by mid-afternoon. By now, the afternoon was bright and sunny with a strong breeze blowing. Snow-covered mountains seemed to almost ring the bay and created a beautiful backdrop for Vigur Island. Vigur, at about 2 km long and 400 m wide, is the second largest island of the Isafjordur Bay. Approximately three thousand pairs of eider ducks nest on the island annually. The island also contains a large colony of arctic terns and a myriad of puffins, that have been caught there for centuries. Our interest in stopping here was due to the fact that Vigur is the site of an active eiderdown farming activity. The island is inhabited by only one family that has lived there for several generations and which bases their livelihood on fishing and farming. No crops are grown except rhubarb and potatoes for family consumption. Farming income now is derived mostly from harvesting eiderdown from the nests after ducklings have fledged. Formerly, collecting bird eggs and catching terns and puffins for market also were important farming activities. The only surviving windmill in Iceland is maintained here by the family. Passengers going ashore were divided into two groups so that too many would not arrive at the same time and potentially disturb the nesting ducks. Each group would have a short zodiac tour as well as the visit to the island. Our group would have the zodiac tour first and was initially scheduled to disembark at 3:00 PM. But, we were held back until 3:30 PM because the water was too choppy to safely do the whole zodiac tour. Looking at the island through my binoculars during our wait, I could see hundreds of male eider ducks along the beaches and up in the grass. Because of their mottled brown color, the females were hardly visible. The farm, a collection of white buildings with red roofs, was located at one end of the island. (photo) A lone unpainted barn sat on a rise about ½ mile from the other buildings. The Icelandic flag, a blue background with a red cross outlined in white – flew from tall pole at the farm. I could not pick out the windmill from the ship. A small ship about 30 ft long was tied up at the jetty near the farm buildings. I later learned that this was the mail packet and ferry that visits the island daily in good weather. Group B was finally called to board the zodiacs at 3:30 PM. The seas were rough but disembarkation into the zodiacs went on without incident and there was a minimum of splashing on our way to the island. We had our shortened zodiac tour before docking. We rounded the tip of the island just past the boat dock and this put us in the lee side where the chop wasn’t as bad. The water here was quite shallow as we found out when we hit a submerged rock. Fortunately, no damage was done either to the zodiac or the motor. There were many eider ducks, mostly males in their distinctive white plumage, sitting on the beach and in the water. Dozens of puffins were swimming in the bay but none were to be seen on land. A flock of 50 or so arctic terns were attacking a school of small fish near the surface. We went along the lee side of Vigur for about a quarter mile and then returned to the dock where we disembarked. A young man met us at the head of the dock and informed us that he would be out guide for a tour of the farm. He told us to be very careful where we walked so as to not step on a nesting eider duck. I wondered whether his comments might be a bit premature until I glanced down at the base of a large boulder beside where we stood. To my surprise, there was a nesting eider hen just sitting quietly on her eggs and watching us carefully! (photo) During the next five or so minutes, I realized that nesting ducks were everywhere. They were very used to the presence of humans and their peace and tranquillity were jealously guarded by the family who rely on them for a major source of their annual income. (photo) We were led on a short hike to see a bit of the island and how the farm was organized. Our first stop was at the old windmill which stood on a high spot not far from the farmhouse. It is about 15 ft tall and has large wooden blades. It was not turning in spite of a stiff breeze when we visited. However, its metal and stone working parts appeared to be operational. We continued along a path toward higher ground in the center of the island. To our right were the bright blue waters of Isafjordur Bay and on the left was a grassy slope to the crest of a low ridge. Just over the ridge was a large colony of nesting arctic terns. We could see terns shuttling back and forth between the nesting site and the bay. Since terns are notorious for mobbing intruders into their nesting sites, we gave them wide berth! Also along the path on our right side were burrows of puffins. These are narrow tunnels about 4” in diameter dug into the hillside. (photo) They extend back at least 3 feet and you usually cannot see into the nest. Like most of the places we had visited to date, few puffins were around the nests and we appeared to be just a bit too early to see them. Most apparently were still out to sea but should be arriving to begin their nesting cycle soon. We walked past many nesting eider ducks out to the weathered old barn that I had seen from the ship. It turned out to be an old sheep barn that gave them shelter in the winter and also was used as a shearing shed in the late spring. We had a demonstration there of how puffins were caught for market in prior times. A net somewhat in appearance to a landing net used by sport fishermen was attached to a long pole that perhaps was 12-15 ft in length. The netter would position himself just below the crest of a hill where a puffin flyway was known to exist. The operator would snag the puffins out of the air as they came rocketing by. This only could be done on a windy day since puffins need a strong wind before they can take flight. A skilled netter could easily snag 1,000 - 2,000 birds per day. It still is possible to buy puffins in markets in some parts of Iceland, They are small but are apparently quite tasty to eat; you just have to fix a lot of them to get a satisfying meal. Puffins are no longer harvested for market at Vigur however, the residents still take about 2,000 annually to control the population. The puffin burrows can be very damaging to pasture and therefore the population must be kept under control. The family also harvests a few eider and tern eggs for personal consumption. During the discussion about puffins we also learned a bit about egg taking. Terns lay three clutches of eggs per year. If the eggs are harvested from one of the nests, the terns merely lay another and there is no damage to the population. Eider eggs similarly can be taken in moderation. After looking at the old barn and watching the demonstration of puffin harvesting, we walked back toward the farm. We passed their garden where rhubarb plants were already 19 – 24 in high. The bed had been turned for potatoes and perhaps was planted but nothing had yet sprouted. The whole garden was perhaps about a half acre in size. We passed a wall of basalt rocks that had been constructed to include niches about 10-12 in square along its base to serve as “nest boxes” for eider ducks. Several of these niches were occupied. (photo) By now, it was apparent that the whole island was thick with nesting female eider ducks. Very few ducklings had yet been hatched although we saw a few down by the dock. (photo) I can only imagine the swarm of ducklings that will occur in a couple of weeks! Just after we passed the wall, we came to two rectangular “pens” about 15 ft by 15 ft in area. There was a modest pile of eider down in each pen that had been harvested from the few nests where ducklings already had hatched and been taken to water. This down was drying in the sun as the first step in preparing it for sale. Once it is dry, it will be combed to remove twigs, grass and other debris and then allowed to dry some more. This processing is done today with a machine. In older times, the family members had laboriously combed the down and removed the debris by hand. Once the down is clean, it is bagged and taken to market where it brings a very good price. (photo) We walked to the farmhouse where we were served some homemade sweet cakes and tea. There was time to sit outdoors in the sun looking out over the bay and just enjoy the late afternoon sunshine. Several black guillemots were swimming in the area around the pier. A lone oystercatcher was picking among the beachside rocks. Nearby was a 200 year old wooden boat up on blocks that had been used to ferry sheep to another island to graze every summer. It still was in good condition but no longer in use. The sheep now are moved by ferry to an adjacent island each summer so that they will not harm the nesting eider ducks that provide the primary cash income for the farm. (photo) We disembarked the island about 5:15 PM and headed for the Endeavour anchored about a half mile out in the bay. The wind had noticeably gained force and we were thoroughly splashed by waves on the way. We were very thankful that we had worn our waterproof jackets. But, we wished that we had our waterproof pants as well; they were hanging in the closet in our cabin! Boarding the Endeavour was dicey because the swells were regularly surging over the boarding platform. Only one person could be boarded per swell so that made the process take more time than usual. Fortunately, everyone boarded without mishap which speaks well for the skill and experience of the ship’s crew. I suspected that if the seas had been this high when we departed for shore at 3:30 PM, the whole operation would have been cancelled. So, we lucked out with this one. It would have been unfortunate if wind conditions had caused us to miss this interesting experience. We rinsed our jackets in our cabin shower in order to remove the salt spray and then we sat around until a bit before debriefing time at 6:45 PM. In the meantime, Endeavour had gotten under way about 6:00 PM and headed for Hesteyri an abandoned settlement not far away. A zodiac landing at Hesteyri was scheduled for 9:15 PM. A woman from Akureyri was scheduled meet the tour group and guide a walk through the abandoned village which is of considerable historic interest. Only about 25% of the passengers elected to participate in this event. Jacquie and I decided that it already had been a long day and that an additional landing was a bit too much. Jacquie also needed to wash her hair and we would have no time to do this tomorrow since there is a full day of events scheduled beginning at 9:00 AM. This later looked like an even better decision when the on-shore group didn’t get back to the ship until almost 11:00 PM. As soon as the zodiacs were loaded on board, Endeavour weighed anchor and departed. The destination is the Latrabjarg Cliffs located at the entry to Iceland's second largest bay, Breidafjordur. We were scheduled to arrive there about breakfast time tomorrow.
Return to Table of Contents Monday, 11 June 2007 It was mostly overcast this morning with a temperature about 46˚ F. The surface of the water was without swells and had only a light chop. We were passing just off Latrabjarg at 7:30 AM. This is a 14 km long, sheer cliff with an east-west direction on the northern coastline of Breidafjordur. The part of Latrabjarg called Bjargtangar is the westernmost part of Iceland, and is often incorrectly called the westernmost point of Europe. That honor actually belongs to the Azores. Latrabjarg is Europe's largest bird cliff providing nesting sites for millions of birds including approximately 40% of the world population of Razorbills. For centuries, men descended the cliffs on ropes during the breeding season to collect eggs, which were a regular part of their diet along with the birds themselves. Sometimes as many as 40,000 eggs and 36,000 birds were taken. Following breakfast, we disembarked for a zodiac cruise and possible landing at the Raudasandur (Red Sand) Beach. The beach is made up of finely ground sea shells reduced to a fine red colored sand by action of the surf. The beach is vast and extended many hundreds of yards in both directions from where the Endeavour anchored. It was maybe ¼ to 1/3 mile deep and behind that, steep cliffs rose up several hundred feet. (photo) It was chilly but tolerable as our zodiac sped toward the beach. We soon could see that a lagoon lies between the beach and the cliffs in some areas. A stream cut across the beach, probably draining the lagoon, and then it formed a shallow cove flanked on both sides by the sandy beach. We entered this cove intending to making a beach landing. We soon began to see grey seals frolicking in the small bay and could see several more hauled out on the beach ahead. The seals were quite inquisitive and came within a few feet of our zodiacs to have a look at us. Grey seals are quite distinctive when they stick their head out of the water because of the dog-like appearance of their head. (photo) Needless to say, we took many photos of their friendly behavior. We eventually landed on the sandy beach for just a few minutes. We saw a pair of jaegers chasing a small tern. It was hard to know whether they intended to catch it for a meal or whether they were trying to harass it to drop food it might have been carrying. I believe it was the latter for the jaegers suddenly broke off the chase and descended down to the beach as if the tern had dropped whatever it was carrying. There was little else to be seen so we soon disembarked the beach and headed back to the Endeavour. While we were on the zodiac cruise, I noticed some people standing about a half-mile down the beach waving a red fusee in the air as if trying to signal someone. It did not appear to be us. There was also some 4WD vehicle activity on a road near the base of the cliffs which I thought to be unusual considering the remoteness of this area. Just after we returned to the ship, a large two-motor airplane came flying low along the surface of the water and circled the Endeavour before continuing on. There was no attempt by the airplane crew to contact the bridge by phone or radio. We later learned that all of this activity was part of an effort to find a kayaker who had been missing for about 24 hrs. We thought it strange that no attempt was made to contact the ship or to ask for help in the search. Fortunately for all, the kayaker apparently was found safe and sound. The Endeavour weighed anchor at 11:15 AM and sailed for Flatey Island only a few miles distant. The estimated arrival time was 2:00 PM. During the intervening time, we had lunch and attended a lecture by Ragnar Haukkson on the subject of trolls and elves. One “take away” from this lecture is the following legend (described as best I can recall).
We arrived at Flatey Island right on time. Flatey Island is the largest of several low-lying rocky outcrops located approximately in the center of the Breidafjordur. (photo) Flatey, first settled by Vikings or by unknowns before them, was an important trading post during the Middle Ages. A monastery was founded there in 1172 and that resulted in Flatey being regarded as the centre of culture and education in Iceland at that time. Although the monastery eventually was moved to the Snaefellsnes peninsula on the southern shores of the Breidafjordur , the cultural influence of Flatey did not diminish until the middle of the 19th century. The community declined until today only a farm or two remain inhabited year around. Although the hamlet has few permanent residents, a small shop/cafe and the remaining houses have been renovated and are occupied by their owners and their families during summer. (photo) A ferry visits the island on a regular basis. The church still standing in Flatey was built in 1926 and features a wonderful mural by the artist Baltasar, a Spaniard holding Icelandic citizenship. Rather than using the ferry dock, we made a wet landing on a small beach at the foot of the community. We opted to not join one of two organized tours but instead, we wandered around the community looking for wildlife and observing the scenery and whatever interested us. By now, it had turned into being a very nice day with bright sunshine and a nice breeze with only a hint of chill in the air. We first walked along the edge of a small farm where several sheep were pastured and then headed for the small white church on the brow of a ridge just behind the village. Near the church, we were treated to the sight of several snipe flying their courtship display that was enhanced with a loud buzzing sound that they make by fanning-out their tail as they dive. We saw several spotted redshanks feeding in the grassy pastures which also were home to many flowering plants. (photos) The church itself was fascinating. From the outside, it merely looked like many other local churches that we had seen during our tour and like many older country churches at home. (photo) The sanctuary was much different on the inside however. Just behind the altar, there was a large mural depicting two fishermen in 1920s dress common to the local area. Christ, or a disciple, maybe Peter, was administering to them. This person also was dressed as a fisherman of the times. (photo) The ceiling of the church was also painted with large murals that incorporated local scenes and culture into a religious theme. The overall effect of the murals was enjoyable and I felt it was appropriate to the way this community must have been at the time it was painted. Quite fortunately, the church seemed to be well maintained although there was nothing there to protect it from vandalism or the effects of severe storms. We next strolled through the community itself which consisted of perhaps a dozen houses and the shop/café. A considerable number of people were sitting outside in the sunshine and/or working on maintaining the houses. We assumed that they were owners or their guests here for a summer holiday. We spent considerable time at a small boat basin maybe an acre or two in area that was protected by a sea wall at one end and had a small beach where one could haul boats out at the other. A couple of red-necked phalaropes and a whimbrel were foraging in the shallow water while a couple of black-backed wagtails were working the beach for flies. We continued through the village on a road with a bluff on the left that overlooked the shore and a marshy area on the right. We saw some red-necked phalaropes and more redshanks in the marshy area. Several nicely maintained cottages perching at the edge of the bluff had a million dollar view looking out over the bay. After about 1-1/2 hr, the rubber boots we were wearing were getting to my back so we headed back to the landing site. The zodiac that took us back detoured to give us a look at a small rocky island off Flatey that was home to many nesting kittiwakes. (photo) We had experienced a very enjoyable afternoon at Flatey but I was glad to be back on board the ship where I could stretch out on my bunk and rest my back for a little while. Endeavour weighed anchor at 5:15 PM and set out for Heimaey in the Vestmanna Islands off the southwest coast of Iceland. The Vestmannas are a considerable distance from Flatey and we were not scheduled to reach Heimaey until tomorrow morning. We viewed two video presentations tonight after dinner. One of them covered the 1973 volcanic eruption that nearly buried the town of Heimaey and the other chronicled the formation of Surtsey by a volcanic eruption in 1963. We will visit both locations tomorrow. Return to Table of Contents Tuesday, 12 June 2007. We were already cruising through the Vestmanna Islands when we awoke this morning. The temperature was about 50 ˚ F and the seas were quite flat. Outside, we could see some sea stacks and tabular formations rising out of the sea. We were scheduled to soon meet a small boat that would transfer a pilot on board to guide the Endeavour through the harbor entrance at Heimaey - pronounced Hi-ma-hay. The channel is very narrow as the result of a 1973 eruption of a fissure on the flank of Mt. Eldfell. That eruption produced a lava flow that almost closed the entrance to the harbour. As a result, the channel is quite narrow and requires a zigzag maneuver before we could gain entrance to the harbor. Two ships cannot pass in the channel because it is so narrow. As a result, Endeavour had to wait a few minutes outside the harbor entrance after the pilot boarded in order to allow a large ferry boat to exit the channel. While we waited, we could see on our right a small mountain that, judging from the collection of moss and lichens had been there for many centuries. On our immediate left and extending to the water’s edge was the edge of a newly-formed lava field made up of large rugged “clinkers” colored in grey and red hues. (photo) To the left rose the cliffs of Mt. Eldfell just behind the new lava field. Its top was covered in the fog and the lower flanks were buried by fresh lava flows of the 1973 eruption which had started from a fissure on its lower flank. The Endeavour carefully worked its way through the narrow channel and into the harbor. (photo) From here, we could see that the town lies in a “bowl” formed by the new lava flow on one side with old terrain completing the circle. The dock area was very busy with activities of the fishing fleet and other shipping-related industries. We were scheduled to disembark at 9:00 AM. A light mist was falling by now and we would need rain gear for the morning’s tour. We boarded waiting buses for a tour of the island that was scheduled to last most of the morning. Our bus was the smallest of three that were involved. Our guide/driver was a woman who is a resident of the island and a mother of five children. She presently is unemployed but raises 30 sheep and has just bought a restaurant in Heimaey that she and her husband plan to operate. She lives in a nice home just a block of two from the edge of the 1963 lava flow and apparently has great faith in the future of Heimaey in spite of the possibility that another eruption could occur at any time. Following is a summary of some of the things that we saw and/or that she talked about during out tour.
This is the last day of the cruise and all will disembark tomorrow morning immediately after we arrive in Reykjavik. We attended a briefing right after lunch that covered the details of the disembarkation procedure such as removal of luggage, clearing accounts and related matters. Following that, we returned to our cabin and began packing away our gear in our luggage. This was complicated somewhat by the fact that we still have a sail-by visit to Surtsey and also the captain’s reception this evening. So some clothing items had to be held back. We arrived off Surtsey about 3:00 PM and we immediately went to the deck by the bridge to get a view of this interesting geological feature. Surtsey is of interest and was included in the itinerary of this cruise because it is the world’s newest island having been formed by a volcanic eruption in 1963. The Endeavour was approaching Surtsey from a northeasterly direction and would sail along the west and south sides of the island. (These directions are approximate since we did not verify them except from a roughly drawn map.) At various points in the description of our tour around Surtsey Island I will entering information – in italics - about Surtsey that describes this island’s background and other matters of interest. This information is taken from a brochure titled “Surtsey Genesis” published by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History prepared for an exhibition in the Culture House, Reykjavik, Iceland, 2007.
From our angle of approach, Surtsey consisted of a single peak about 300-400 ft high although it seemed much taller. To our right was low peninsula or spit extending out from the base of the peak. To the left was a long slope away from the peak that terminated in rocky cliffs maybe 75-100 ft high that appeared to be remnants of a lava flow. Surf was breaking against this cliff throwing spray into the air. (photo) The whole island was a dun color with hints of green vegetation here and there. We could see what appeared to be a small building perched near the peak and another one not far back from on the cliffs dead ahead. There appeared to be a quiescent vent as well as patches of red and yellow ash or rock on the lower left slope of the peak. This probably is the vent called Surtur that produced most of the lava flow late in the eruption of Surtsey. The Endeavour steered to the left side of the island and this course took us to the easterly side of the island where we had full view of the slopes extending in our directions from the peak. Through the binoculars, we could see the vent in more detail. We also could see birds flying in the air and nesting in the rocks on the cliff faces. It was clear that vegetation and animal life were colonizing the island to a noticeable extent. The aforementioned brochure contains a passage concerning this matter.
The Endeavour steered to the left side of the island and this course took us to the easterly side of the island where we had full view of the slopes extending in our direction from the peak. Through the binoculars, we could see the vent in more detail. We initially cruised about 1/3–½ mile off a shoreline that appeared to be a layer of dark colored lava that perhaps originated from the Surtur vent on this side of the island. This rock contrasted noticeably in appearance with the light beige of the peak behind it that constituted the majority of the island. (photo) From a distance, it looked like this dark rock had flowed out from a vent on the side of the main peak and spread out over the beige material. This rock had many reddish bands running through it that appeared to separate layers of harder, darker rock. The shore ended in cliffs that were quite sheer but not very high, maybe 75–100 ft in all. The cliffs were extensively eroded with large “caves” appearing along the face where the waves had washed out areas of softer rock. Some of these were filled with rubble suggesting that cave-ins had occurred as the waves pounded away over the years. (photo) This type of coastline persisted for a couple of kilometres or a bit more to a point that appeared to be the edge of the lava flow. The lava here appeared to give way to a mixture of beige colored tephora and tuff formed by the slow conversion of the former. (photo) The discontinuity between the lava above and the tuff below was marked by a diagonal bright red vein. From this point, the elevation of the island increased rapidly and we could see that the rock was very fine grained and banded horizontally. This is the ash that was ejected during the early formation of the island. On the surface, it was heavily eroded from rain and wind falling of the soft ash during the early years after the eruption. The cliffs became progressively more sheer as we sailed toward the southeastern end of the island. (photo) During all of this time, most of us stood out on the deck watching the constantly changing geology of the island as we sailed past. Our naturalist staff was particularly helpful in interpreting what we were seeing. Although the eruption that formed Surtsey ended many years ago, the island continues to change over time. The development of life o the island is described in a preceding paragraph. Of interest to geologists is the ongoing transformation of tephora, the volcanic ash produced during the eruption, into tuff, a much harder rock. This has never been observed before. Also of interest is the effect of erosive forces on the island and how it will change over time. Following are excerpts from the brochure “Surtsey Genesis” which addresses these points.
All too soon, the Endeavour completed the circuit around the east and south sides of the island and then headed back in a northwesterly direction toward Reykjavik where the cruise ends tomorrow. We spent the rest of the afternoon packing our gear for disembarkation tomorrow morning. By dinner time, we were ready except for last minute items. The Captain’s reception, complete with open bar, began at 6:00 PM. This was a chance to bid fellow travelers and staff goodbye. Just after this function started, we were joined by a large pod of orcas (killer whales) just off the port bow. They splashed and frolicked at the surface as they fed on something, probably a large school of fish. We had many good looks at them, especially the males with their 6 ft high dorsal fins protruding from the surface of the sea. We didn’t have our cameras along so just contented ourselves with watching their antics. After a few minutes following the ship, they disappeared from view. We had a good discussion during dinner over the current political situation involving the Bush Administration. There was general agreement that things are going in the wrong direction. We had a healthy level of disagreement about the cause and what was the threat level. It’s the first time we have discussed politics during this cruise. In general, I avoid such discussions in a venue like this because of the problems that such might create for the remainder of the trip. But tonight, that concern didn’t make much difference. We returned to the cabin and finished a few last minute items of packing. We’ll be able to meet the deadline for having bags out in the morning. We showered and then turned in at a decent hour. Click here to continue to the next page Return to Table of Contents |