Saturday, September 10, 2016

Iceland/Island




  One of Iceland's most famous sites is relatively new.  Jokulsarlon Bay began forming about 80 years ago when the Breidjamerkurjokull glacier started retreating and a bay was formed where the sea flows in at high tide and carries icebergs out when it goes out.  We were fortunate enough to get there early in the morning and not encounter crowds too big or too many powerboats cruising the roughly 10 sq. mile waters.  We were also fortunate to see a nice flock of Arctic Terns (not pictured) here that we missed when visiting Skalanes.  As we left around noon on a Sunday traffic was getting pretty scary, a one-lane bridge over the outlet on the Ring Road here can make things very interesting.  We returned when we drove by early Monday morning and had the beach all to ourselves.
  Icebergs can stay in the bay for five years before moving out to sea, I was able to stay in the water about one minute and smack my arm on the much larger part of the iceberg below the surface you always hear about. Once out to sea the waves can deposit them onto the beach where they either melt or get picked up and taken out again.
  By the way, ice takes on the blue color when it is compressed deep in a glacier and oxygen is forced out of it.  My head is blue because I figured it might stay warmer if I swam with my hat on.

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