It was a bittersweet day. We had perfect weather all day, from our approach to the Westman Islands and into Heimaey harbor. On our approach, we appreciated the vast amount of bird life. Then, when in Heimaey, we climbed up the “new” volcano from the 40-year-old eruption and embarked on a bus tour of the island. Upon our return to the ship, we remembered and reminisced on our time in this vast, beautiful landscape before sharing in the Captain’s farewell party and dinner.
7/16/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
Heimaey, Iceland
We began the day with a circumnavigation of Surtsey, the newest island in the Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago. This small desolate volcano captured the world’s attention in 1963 when it erupted without warning from the seafloor off the southeast coast of Iceland. From there we sailed north to Heimaey, or “home island”, where we disembarked and toured the area via coach or on foot. The more energetic folks climbed Eldfell, the volcano that nearly consumed the town and forced its evacuation during an eruption in 1973. Regardless of our choice of activities, all guests visited the Eldheimar Museum that records, preserves, and brilliantly commemorates the eruption that prompted the evacuation and destroyed nearly half of the homes in town. The devastation took one life but did have a significant and positive long-term impact. By fighting the lava flow with cooling water cannons, the townspeople halted its advance and improved the safety of the harbor.