We’ve crossed multiple parallels of latitude on this voyage and we are now exploring the northwestern fjords of Iceland. There are contrasts of the subarctic environment of Iceland to the high arctic of Svalbard to be seen everywhere. Life here is more relaxed than the fight for survival it is in the polar latitudes.
The National Geographic Explorer anchored early morning in Arnarfjörður in beautiful breaking fog. Here we saw lots of examples of basaltic geology, with extrusive dikes reflected in the crystal morning waters. The sun emerged in full force above the dramatic waterfall called Dynjandi (which means thunderous in Icelandic), and we hiked and photographed our way along the levels of cascades among wildflowers and rainbows.
After lunch we repositioned to Gilsfjörður after finding salmon farms in our planned anchorage. A kayak operation began but was canceled as the wind built up to an unacceptable level. But, being an expedition, we adapted and explored! We hiked along the head of the fjord over beautiful flower-filled meadows and waterways at the site of an old farm homestead. An Arctic skua harangued a redshank. A smack of jellyfish floated in the fjord. Stands of trees disrupted our worldview, being the first sign of forest we have seen in the past week and a half.
In polar Svalbard, flies pollinate the hearty miniaturized vegetation, even walking from flower to flower. But today we found bumblebees, midges, moths, flies, spiders and other potential pollinators moving around on a more varied spectrum of flowering plants. The colorful flora included oyster plants, which we also saw at Jan Mayen, heath spotted-orchid, wild thyme, thrift, campion, crowberry, buttercup and more. A new cast of avian characters entered our perspective, as we observed oystercatchers, ringed and golden plovers, redshanks, meadow pipits, snipes and whooper swan cygnets.
The lower latitudes certainly do bring reprieve from the harsh cold challenges of an Arctic ecology, as was evident in the profusion of life we discovered here in northwestern Iceland today.
