As National Geographic Endurance sailed through Arnarfjördur in the Westfjords region of Iceland, the sun was just starting to peek over the mountains. Our morning destination was the iconic, cascading falls of the Dynjandi Waterfall, also known as Fjallfoss.
We dropped off a group of guests interested in a longer hike 3.5 miles from the waterfall. They were greeted by eider ducks and black guillemots. National Geographic Endurance proceeded farther into the fjord, where the rest of our guests and staff went ashore to photograph and explore the falls.
As we sailed out of the fjord in the afternoon, we encountered a pod of half a dozen feeding humpback whales, including a mother and calf. The captain and officers expertly held the ship in position for all to see. Perfect light allowed us to photograph these incredible animals, and we were able to take identification shots for Happy Whale, our Citizen Science project.
The late afternoon was filled with a presentation about the archeology and construction of Viking ships. Special guest speakers Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay invited us to an early recap to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest with a champagne toast. As we sailed out of the fjord, a few more whales were spotted in the setting sun.
