We are on our collective circumnavigation of Iceland over the next ten days. We left Reykjavik’s “Bay of Smokes” behind as we sailed steadily through the morning to the Westfjords, learning as we went from Certified Photo Instructor Brooke Juhala about how to maximize our photographic efforts in the days ahead.
It wasn’t long before we put our lenses to the test. We arrived at the delightful little island of Flatey just after lunch, with bright buildings, its charming church, and plentiful puffins lining the cliffs of this preferred Icelandic getaway. Some intrepid souls took off to the bird cliffs to brave the nearby Arctic terns, while others went to the library which holds a copy of the famous Book of Flatey, a codex of medieval Icelandic sagas from the 14th century.
Plentiful puffins greeted us in the blustery return to the ship before setting off for the bird cliffs of Látrabjarg. There we found the largest bird cliffs of Europe, home to millions of seabirds, from gannets to murres, guillemots, puffins, and 40% of the world’s razorbills.
Tomorrow, we sail deeper into the Westfjords for an early meeting with a famous waterfall. Onward!
