The bright blue sunshine welcomed us to another morning at sea. As we got up after a sleep in, we looked out the window and saw a few rocks sticking out of the ocean. Surrounding the rocks were millions of birds, from northern gannets to herring gulls. The show of feeding and nesting birds was impressive. Vestland Islands are a series of 18 volcanic islands and Heimaey is the biggest. Formed 40 million years ago, multiple eruptions shaped this rock in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Part of our day’s adventure was to visit the last created volcano (1973), Eldfell. After a sudden eruption that lasted 4 months, the main city of the island, which was fully evacuated at that time, slowly rebuilt itself. As we walked on the old lava flows to the top of the newly built cinder cone, we admired an amazing view of the whole island from every direction. If the climb was a bit too much for some, there was the option to visit the area by bus, from the lighthouse to the bottom of the volcano, and we had a chance to enjoy the highlights of the island.
The day ended with a delicious meal as we sailed by Surtsey Island, the youngest island in the world. Created in 1963 after a big volcanic eruption, Surtsey is now a protected area where scientists follow the creation of a new island.
