Saturday, June 13, 2009

Lake of Dancing Icebergs (Jokulsarlon, Iceland)


In a country packed with natural travel wonders including thundering waterfalls, freaky rock formations, snaking glaciers and thermal pools, one of the most unusual experiences in Iceland is the glacial lake, Jökulsárlón, full of powder-blue icebergs. From nature’s perspective, this is a recent phenomenon related to the receding glacier with the lake only present for the last seventy-five years.

The smallish icebergs, having split from the front of an arm of Europe’s largest glacier (and one-twelfth of Iceland’s landmass), slowly waltz around the chilly glacial lagoon with the slow deliberate grace of tai chi. The icebergs are too large to enter the river outlet to the ocean. They slowly meander around the lake until the wind and water erodes them to a size where they can finally escape their lagoon prison.

Apart from the peaceful stroll around the lagoon’s shore, a half-hour journey on an amphibian craft weaves up close to the ice show, revealing the unusual formations carved by nature, the varying shades of blue cast in the chunks of ice and the attractive reflections in the brooding waters.

The film-makers love it with the setting being used for a number of features including two James Bond movies – A View to a Kill and Die Another Day.

Enjoy Jökulsárlón, a surreal travel wonder in a sombre atmosphere of gently lapping water, brooding grey clouds and blue-tinged ice giants silently circulating the cold lagoon waters.

Other Iceland Posts
Astride the Continents
Nature's Wonderland
Remote Sign

9 comments:

Smorg said...

Totally awesome! I hope this place will survive climate change...

Nomadic Matt said...

another thing i need to see before it melts!

Heather Dugan (Footsteps) said...

Mark, your words and photos are better than video. I'd still rather see it all myself, but your gift of description brings it all into view.

I have vivid memories of camping in Glacier Bay as a kid and watching icebergs in the moonlight. That's an experience my kids haven't yet had...

Mark H said...

@smorg: Let's hope so. The amount of glaciers in Iceland is staggering and the thought of them melting is frightening to say the least.

@nomadic matt: It's a long list...

@footsteps: Thank you. Glacier Bay sounds a special place from what I've read and there is something truly poetic about icebergs and moonlight.

Eunice said...

That's awesome! I run out of words to describe it, just wondering if I ever have the chance to visit Iceland.

Love all your travel pics as usual!! Ever thought of publishing a travel book? :D

Andy Hayes said...

Gorgeous pictures - It looks like one of those places that just isn't possible to describe in words...but thanks for giving us a taster.

Mark H said...

@eunice: No thoughts of a travel book.

@andy hayes: Thank you. Words don't capture these kind of places.

Sherry Ott said...

As much as I hate cold weather - I love cold weather landscapes! This is beautiful...Iceland moving higher and higher on my list!

Mark H said...

@sherry: Jokulsarlon is a remarkable place. To have all these icebergs trapped in a lake is a remarkable sight in a country full of natural wonders.

 
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