Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands), Iceland, 7/3/2022, National Geographic Resolution
Aboard the
National Geographic Resolution
Arctic
A highlight of our voyage is Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands in English), an incredible set of volcanic islands that include the southernmost point of the country. National Geographic Resolution began the day with a dramatic entrance into the port at Heimaey–backwards!
Kim is a marine biologist, adventure photographer, and full-time nomad. Not a fan of having her feet solidly on the ground, she spends most of the year diving, paragliding, skiing, hiking, kayaking, and working on ships. She made it to all seven cont...
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We are on top of the world. Not literally of course – although we are at 70.67 degrees N, so pretty close to the top of the world – but, figuratively speaking, we could not have had a more spectacular day. We woke up to panoramic views of Uummannaq: colorful buildings, icebergs, and a heart shaped mountain top. We spent the morning exploring Uummannaq. We explored the museum, visited an art exhibit, and listened to traditional cultural drumming. We also applied what we have learned about visual storytelling through photography, thanks to photography instructor Kim Nesbitt and National Geographic photographer David Wright. After lunch we explored Qilakitsoq, a remarkable archaeological site where eight perfectly preserved mummies were found in 1972. We learned that these mummies date back to 1475 AD, and as we hiked up the steep rocks we thought about what life would have been like for this community of people. Our day ended with a literal splash when, during our iceberg Zodiac tour led by undersea specialist Paul North, we saw a piece of an iceberg calf off into the ocean. As we approach the end of this expedition, we are so thankful to be representing the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. We are part of the first cohort of teachers back on board since the pandemic, and we are grateful to everyone for making this an unforgettable experience, from the Lindblad personnel to staff, crew, and officers. We would like to thank the guests for making us feel so welcome on board; it is amazing how connected you can feel in just a few days. We are, as we said, on top of the world.
Our second day in the Westfjords of Iceland started in the fog. It had a mysterious atmosphere, giving us a disorienting feeling of being at the edge of the world. We spent the morning in the second largest fjord of the Westjords, Arnarfjörður. This ten-kilometer fjord splits into two branches, and we were headed to the southern bay of the northern branch. Our plan for the morning was to see the Dynjandi Waterfall. This waterfall is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Iceland. Its name means ‘resounding’ because of how loud it is. It is said that the last people living in this area left in the 1950s because the constant noise was driving them to insanity. The waterfall is also sometimes called the ‘Bridal Veil Fall,’ and legend tells of a lady giant who was abandoned by her lover before their wedding. The sound of the waterfall is said to be the wailing of the heartbroken bride-to-be, and the waterfall her fallen veil. Our passengers had different options to get to the waterfall. Guests who needed a leg stretch started at the split of the fjord and walked all the way to the bottom of the fjord where Dynjandi is located. Others were dropped off on the beach by the waterfall. Everyone was then free to enjoy the waterfall from below or to hike up 200 meters for a closer view. Since the clouds were very low, we were worried about not getting a proper view over the waterfall. But luckily, the clouds rose around Dynjandi as we arrived, and we could see the whole 100 meters of the fall. While in the fjord, we encountered a few grey seals and harbour seals, whooper swans, eider ducks, and arctic terns. As we sailed on towards the mouth of Arnarfjörður, we spotted a solitary humpback whale close to a salmon farm. We moved side by side until the whale decided to part ways. This sailing time was also the perfect opportunity to admire the geology of the area. The fjord was formed by a massive trunk glacier during the Ice Age and filled with seawater afterwards. Tributary glaciers carved U-shaped valleys on each side of the fjord. In the afternoon, National Geographic photographer Karen Kasmauski gave us a delightful presentation called Emotional Landscapes. As we sailed around the once again foggy Westfjords on our way south, we got lucky one more time. Our next stop, the cliff Látrabjarg, was fortunately fog-free. Látrabjarg has a few superlatives to be proud of. It is the westernmost point of Iceland, the largest cliff in Europe (10 km long), and host of the largest colony of razorbills in the world. Látrabjarg means the loud cliff because thousands of seabirds nest there in the summer, including puffins, common guillemots, razorbills, black-legged kittiwakes, and northern fulmars. We sailed along, and as we left, seabirds continued to follow us for some time. Sunshine and beautifully blue oceans set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Geologist Grace Winer gave a fascinating presentation on the geology of Iceland and the eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull and Eldfell in Heimaey, delighting us with her passion for Iceland and her amazing sense of humour.
