Ever since childhood I’ve had this love for the great outdoors. I have school papers that champion National Parks, animals, and the environment, as far back as grade school. I think it started in first grade when my teacher took a trip to Australia. She returned with captivating stories and gave each one of us a big shiny Australian penny.
I still have that coin. It’s a talisman for me, a tangible connection with my lifelong love of nature and travel.
So it’s no stretch to say that my young adult years were spent contemplating careers that sent me on outdoor adventures. Archeologist, park ranger, ocean researcher, for example. One of those imaginings had me on the water, zipping across the waves in a zodiac boat identifying whales or doing a coastal survey.
I finally got the chance to experience that thrill during our Iceland adventure.
JOKULSARLON GLACIER LAGOON
For the record – An iceberg filled lagoon in May still has a wintery bite. Polar wind found every little opening in our layers, and spray from the zodiac added a damp chill for good measure. But I barely noticed the cold, not with dramatic icebergs floating all around us and no two looked alike. Some rose like jagged blue towers, some floated like giant slabs, others leaned and twisted into strange sculptural shapes, and a few looked as though someone had carved windows or archways through them.
Add a glacier wall, seals and seabirds, and it all combined for a truly phenomenal experience. One that stirred memories of that young girl with big dreams. It wasn’t what I expected to feel in Iceland, but as I’ve mentioned before, the Land of Fire and Ice will surprise you.
As our zodiac motored alongside those massive icebergs in a glacier-fed lagoon, a quiet sense of wonder and awe seeped in. How could it not? Those beautiful towers of blue are not just frozen chunks of ancient snowfall. They are floating ecosystems, a hotspot of biological activity supporting marine life in a myriad of ways.
Above the water they serve as a vital habitat for birds to rest and recover from long ocean flights, seals prefer icebergs because they offer protected spaces to give birth. Penguins also love icebergs, but sadly there aren’t any of those in Iceland.
One of my favorite pictures I took from the zodiac is a seagull perched at the very peak of the berg, surveying his domain. It makes me smile every time I look at it!
Below the water is the biggest portion of the berg. As it melts, minerals and nutrients release into the water, essential for plankton growth, the base of our ocean’s food chain. Nooks and crannies in the ice also create unique opportunities for fish. They gather in the shadows, find shelter from predators and relief from strong currents.
Beyond the stunning visuals, there is a sense that everything is connected. Life on earth is like that. Even massive floating mountains of ancient ice are more than they first appear.
If I’m sounding like a National Geographic article, blame it on the subject matter. It’s fascinating. I’m even going so far as to insert a zippy video of that zodiac ride. Share a little taste of the action. =)
FJALLSARLON GLACIER
Before the zodiac ride we were headed east on Iceland’s famed Highway 1, when about 10 kilometers from our destination of Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, we came across a sign for Fjallsarlon Lagoon.
Curiosity got the better of us and we had time to spare, so we pulled into a parking area and hiked a 1.5 mile loop trail to the lake, but not before stopping at one of those educational billboards. There we learned about Vatnajokull, an ice cap and the largest of its kind in Europe. This is important because it has roughly 30 outlet glaciers that crawl from the ice, Fjallsarlon and Jokulsarlon are two.
We kept walking and reached Fjallsarlon’s lagoon. Much to our surprise, the giant wall of ancient ice was clearly visible and super close by! The lake it spawned held countless chunks of floating ice, smaller than you’d find in Jokulsarlon, but still impressive.
On that note: Fjallsarlon Glacier is also calmer and quieter than its much larger neighbor, Jokulsarlon Glacier, but that doesn’t mean it’s small. Iceland doesn’t do anything halfway. Fjallsarlon is huge. I’d go so far to say magnificent. The landscape is everything you’d expect from a Nordic glacier. Bright blue ice, deep cracks, and dark volcanic ash lines.
It’s a beautiful alien world that also offers boat and kayak tours. Had we more time to explore, we might have snagged a kayak and paddled our way through the maze.
If that’s not your thing, I have good news! You don’t need a boat to see Vatnajokull. While our outlet glacier was clearly visible from the shore, the ice cap itself is even more dramatic seen through your car windshield. Especially driving east to west. It takes a long while to traverse its length and it’s all you can do to keep your eyes on the road. This picture, while fabulous, falls way short in conveying the breathtaking sight, as well as, the colossal size of the mountain and ice. It’s one of those places you have to see to believe. Go. Experience it. You won’t regret it.
LANGJOKULL GLACIER
This was the first glacier we saw and unlike the others in this article, Langjokull is located in the western Highlands region, on the road to Snaefellness Peninsula. It’s the closest glacier to Reykjavik and the second largest one on the island. Its name means “Long Glacier” in Icelandic.
We didn’t spend any time here (as the lack of photos proves) because we were headed for Snaefellness, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s famous for ice tunnels, glacier hiking, and snowmobiling tours. Even though our line of sight from the road didn’t feel as grand as Vatnajokull, this mountain commands respect because its meltwater feeds Gullfoss, a monster waterfall and a thing to behold!
In fact, I think I’ll cover the waterfalls next. Because Iceland has more than their fair share. We barely scratched the surface, but what we managed to see was jaw-dropping.
IN CONCLUSION
The Land of Fire and Ice truly delivers on its name. Those two raw extremes live side by side on this island, and the contrast that creates is a geologist’s dream. Being that I’m married to one, I saw that firsthand. But it’s also a dream wish for anyone who loves the outdoors, nature, and wilderness experiences.
Iceland is magical. It’s a place where massive glaciers rest on top of active volcanoes, roaring waterfalls thrive like wildflowers, and steaming hot springs and spouting geysers work to transform an ever-changing landscape. Under the glowing midnight sun in summer or dancing northern lights in winter, this untamed island feels like another world.
Trust me when I say…It is worth every effort it takes to get there.
Next up: WATERFALLS.
See you then!