Akranes and Hraunfossar , 7/26/2021, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Iceland
While we went in several different directions today—from a tunnel under a glacier to a thermal hot water spa—to the dramatic Hraunfossar waterfalls streaming out of the basalt, there was no wrong direction. We also learned that Icelandic motor coach drivers stop for ducklings crossing the road, thank goodness!
Summer wildflowers bloomed along the roadside and trailside, providing splashes of color to a vivid green landscape. A moody sky produced rainsqualls followed by vivid rainbows.
Born in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Linda and her Air Force family moved extensively throughout the U.S. when she was a child. Linda continues to travel and explore a broader spectrum of the world as a naturalist with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geogr...
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We found ice at sea level today in Iceland, particularly rewarding given the lore that Iceland is mostly green and Greenland mostly ice. From Djupivogur, travelers followed Iceland’s rugged, windswept southeastern coastline to Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon where icebergs that originate from the enormous Vatnajökull Icecap float and ground in tidally influenced waters. Along the way, multitudes of whooper swans gathered in the nearshore waters, white highlights to the black sand shorelines. At Iceland’s only coastal area with ice, we rode amphibious duck boats into the misty lagoon to explore the icebergs. Other guests ventured out to explore the area closer to Djupivogur, riding super jeeps to the Valley of the Waterfalls, while others took walking tours of black sand beaches or cultural walks in the local area. Here we discovered the Eggs of Merry Bay, an outdoor artwork of oversized but accurate eggs of the area’s nesting birds. Our circumnavigation of Iceland continues to enhance our impressions of this fascinating island-nation.
This morning dawned bright and cloudy, with a short Zodiac run into Borgafjörður Eystri. The famous puffin cliffs loomed over us in astonishing numbers as we prepared for the bike ride, followed by a long hike, a moderate hike, or a leisurely hike. While the bikers and long hikers made good time going up the various mountains, the moderate hikers stopped at a slightly lower scenic point, and the leisurely hikers made their way up while looking at flowers, birds, and rocks along the way. Those who were not signed up for one of these options had the chance to enjoy the colony of puffins nearby, where a boardwalk led them along a beautifully rugged cliff where thousands of birds were nesting.
National Geographic Endurance anchored in Borgarfjordur Eystri to visit the town and area around Bakkagerdi. Hiking was on the to do list for quite a few and it turned out to be a celebratory day for a couple when a mountainous peak became the perfect spot for a proposal. Whimbrels were calling and several flew by as the ‘natural history’ hikers made their way along the trail. Ultimately, the stars of the show were the puffins. At this point in the season the pufflings are starting to emerge from the burrows and stretch their wings. The puffin parents will soon stop feeding the pufflings and they will take flight in the next couple of weeks. Pufflings have sooty faces, beaks, and black feet as they emerge from the burrow. Everyone with a cell phone or larger camera went home with great photos from the day’s adventure!