Jökulsárlón means “glacier river lagoon”. The lagoon and icebergs come from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, which is part of Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe by volume. The lagoon has grown fourfold since the 1970s, to give you an idea of how fast the glaciers melt. Arriving at Jökulsárlón I traveled with my family around the …
I cannot share a specific story about Iceland with you all because every corner of this country is my favorite place. It has been a process, something that has been growing deep inside of me for a long time. When I talk about Iceland, I’m talking about something spiritual, something that touches my soul. Iceland …
What Iceland makes me feel, healing wounds in Iceland Read More »
My favorite place in Iceland is the Westfjords, a remote and sparsely populated peninsula in the Northwestern region. In particular, the Red Sand Beach left unforgettable memories with me. Overall, most travelers leave this part out of their trip around the island and missing out on one of the best-kept secrets and natural wonders. Besides, …
All Icelanders know the oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) as it is very noticeable due to its loud calls during summer. The oystercatcher is a wader (Charadrii) belonging to the Haematopodidae family, widely distributed on the coast of western Europe but is also found in East Europe and Asia. The oystercatcher is black and white and a …
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There are known over a hundred species of ducks in the world, but the word duck and the childish words „bra-bra“ are by most Icelanders related and refer to the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The mallard is tame, easily recognized, and found around ponds where children feed the ducks. The mallard belongs to the Anseriformes within …
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The horned grebe, also known as Slavonian grebe (Podiceps auritus), belongs to the Podicipedidae family along with 20 other species belonging to six genera and is the only grebe species found in Iceland. The horned grebe is distributed in Scandinavia and the Baltic, east to Asia and North America. Few breeding pairs have been observed …
The black tailed godwit (Limosa limosa islandica) belongs to the waders (Charadrii) but is of the Scolopacidae family. It is closely related to the redshank (Scolopacidae) and the whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) within the subfamily Tringinae. This subspecies nests mainly in Iceland but has also been observed at a few destinations in the west and mid-Europe …
The black-headed gull (formerly Larus ridibundus, now known as Chroicocephalus ridibundus) belongs to the gull family (Laridae) and the genus Chroicocephalus. Gulls in this genus are small to medium-sized most of them having a distinguished hood on the head. These species were previously placed in the Larus genus, which includes the real gulls. The bird is widely …
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The Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) belongs to the Alcid family (Alcidae) along with the puffin (Fratercula arctica), the common murre (Uria aalge), the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), the razorbill (Alca torda) and the rare little auk (Alle alle). The Black guillemot is an arctic bird species that occupies many areas of the coastline in the …
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When you’re looking for a place to see in the New Year, then a city with a passion for partying is a good bet. New Year’s Eve is a big deal in Reykjavik – as it is all over Iceland – and if you travel to the capital in late December, you’re almost guaranteed a …
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