We enjoyed a packed day today, beginning with a tour of the natural wonders around Lake Myvatn in northern Iceland and ending with a visit to the Arctic Circle. In the morning, we toured the striking geological attractions of the region with stops at a magnificent waterfall, an eerie lava maze, and a pungent and colorful thermal field. After a lunch with a view from the recently constructed Foss Hotel, overlooking Lake Myvatn, we climbed to the top of a volcanic ash crater. After a spectacular dinner on board, and under the light of a midnight sun, National Geographic Explorer visited the island of Grimsey, which touches the Arctic Circle.
8/23/2024
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National Geographic Explorer
Reykjavík, Iceland
After a cracking morning out at sea with some truly impressive waves, we were called up to the lounge by Expedition Leader Leah Eaton, who briefed us on a volcanic eruption that had just started on the Reykjanes peninsula. As the briefing concluded, we could already see the volcanic plume through which we would later sail on our way around the Reykjanes peninsula. We finally reached Reykjavík in the afternoon, where we had our final lounge briefing with our guest slideshow, a presentation on our final volcano plan, and a farewell speech from Captain Peik Aalto. After an early dinner, we mounted a trio of busses that carried us out onto the Reykjanes peninsula to an abandoned airstrip. From there we could already see the spectacular eruption very clearly, but to get a better look, we made our way onto some of the old storage bunkers which lined the airstrip. This gave us a view of the eruption in all its glory, with smoke billowing into the sky from the two-kilometer-long fissure, and also a number of smaller fires. It was a truly wonderous ending to an already incredible expedition.
