A lot of ground was covered today for the guests of the National Geographic Orion. In the morning, we embarked buses in the port of Akureyri and drove southwest into an area of heavy volcanic activity surrounding Lake Myvatn. As we explored this geological hot zone, we were entranced by the bucolic scenery, fascinating rock formations, and of course, appreciated the fields filled with sheep and the iconic Icelandic Horse. We visited volcanoes, lakes, waterfalls, geysers, and even ended up in an incredible whale museum in the fishing and whale watching mecca of Husavik.
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.
