There wasn’t a single person aboard who wouldn’t say that today was extraordinary. The morning started off with very close visits from a large fin whale (the second largest animal on the planet) followed by a very rare sighting of a northern bottle nose whale. We had three wonderful presentations as we finished the last of a nearly 230-mile journey from Iceland to Mykines. Mykines, is the westernmost of the Faroe Islands and has a year-round population of 14 humans. Nearly 20 of us decided to put our legs to the test and hike up the steep ridge line above town, while others walked the streets with our National Geographic Photographers; Diane and Len. The steep cliff faces were covered with puffins who seemingly didn’t mind our presence. In addition to the phenomenal scenery and wildlife encounters, the day was extra special as we were serenaded by Kata; a group of five beautiful local women who sang local folk tunes.
8/23/2024
Read
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.
