Iceland .. Jökulsárlón pt 2

My journal entry for today reads "Just had the best of days at Jökulsárlón!" an understatement if ever in the circumstances, before erroneously noting "Arctic Skua and Snow Bunting provided the main soundtrack [to the day]". A more reasonable description being that "Arctic Tern and Snow Bunting etc". I have been conflating Arctic Skua for Arctic Tern at every opportunity this holiday, one of those misnomers that sticks around even when I know it is incorrect.

We arrived late morning, back at the glacial lagoon, parked the Jimny, "took a breath", then grabbed a coffee and relaxed into the scenery. The icebergs seemed larger and more compact than at our last visit. Some showing the deepest blue of the recently carved iceberg, whilst others thin, translucent, grimed with volcanic dust.

As we sat for lunch a WhatsApp message from a dear friend came through to us both. It confirmed the safe arrival of their son, born yesterday, and weighing in at a stonking 8lb+. Mother and baby were both doing fine. We wept.

In celebratory mode we headed to “Diamond Bay” instantly taken with the large chunks of ice, washed up on the shoreline, sparkling against the black volcanic sands. The monochrome contrasting with the bright colours of Gortex, Soft Shell, and Wool on show by the accompanying tourists.

Shortly afterwards we joined a small boat cruise of the glacial lagoon, heading out on a Zodiac RIB with a local guide, taking us the 8km from the mouth of the lagoon to the tongue of the Vatnajökull Glacier.

Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides)

above 3 photos - one of the most impressive and 
freshly carved icebergs present on the day!

Boat Trip: Ice Lagoon Adventure Tours

Food: Ishusid Pizzeria

Iceland .. Vik - Höfn via Jökulsárlón pt 1

Today we spent time in transit albeit taking a slow drive east on the Rte.1 - starting out from Vik mid-morning and then heading east to Höfn. We stopped enroute at Foss á Síðu, for a photo opportunity before taking a lunch stop at the basalt cliffs of Dverghamrar.

Dverghamrar

Further on up the road, I almost drove the car into the verge in over-excitement as Jökulsárlón came in to view to our left! With the itinerary planned and finalised by A. I had not fully grasped the fact that we would be encountering the glacial lagoon on our transfer, thinking it was beyond Höfn? Doh!

Barely containing myself, I managed to park safely. We alighted to spend a couple of hours on site – just marvelling at the landscape, the changing shape of the light, sound, and motion of the icebergs on the Lagoon. Grabbing too many photos and feeling altogether both emotional and enriched.

Jökulsárlón

The birdwatching was splendid with both Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) and Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) present, along with a supporting cast of Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra), and the most engaging flock of Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) around the car park. The latter gatecrashing the soundtrack to my short videos when a male landed on an iceberg in front of us and sang.

Before leaving the lagoon we booked a boat trip for this Saturday coming.

Höfn

Accommodation: Apotek Guesthouse

Food: Kaffi Hornid

Beer: NR. 3 ÚLFUR IPA – Borg Brugghus