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.
7/24/2024
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Djupivogur and Jökulsárlón, Iceland
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.
