It is no exaggeration to say that Drangey Island and the adjacent ancient lava pillar are among the not-to-be-missed sites of Iceland. The hundreds of volcanic layers interlaid with mineralized organic material create endless nooks, crannies, and ledges, perfect nesting areas for thousands of seabirds, including kittiwakes, razorbills, murres, and guillemots. An equal number of puffins constantly flew in and out of their burrows in the turf areas at the island’s top.
We had two options for exploring the island this morning, one of which being an arduous climb to the top necessitating the use of cables, chains, and ladders or a circumnavigation by Zodiac. Each was perfect.
After lunch we embarked on one of two activities, the first a rousing raft trip down a glacier river which was fun, adventurous, and wet! The second option was a more relaxing tour of the Glaumbær Museum and Lýtingsstaðir, an Icelandic horse farm. Glaumbær is a turf and driftwood farmhouse dating to the 18th to 19th Century and is representative of rural Icelandic housing until 1910-30. At the horse farm, we learned about the history of the breed and watched as three horses and their riders demonstrated the famous fifth gait.
It was another action-filled day on National Geographic Explorer!
