Surtsey & Heimaey, Vestmannaeyar, Iceland
Following early morning introductions to the staff, the National Geographic Explorer circumnavigated the small volcanic island called Surtsey. This is the southernmost of the Vestmannaeyar archipelago and originated as an underwater eruption in 1963 which lasted almost three and a half years. The name derives from the Norse fire giant Surtr.
Volcanologists were on hand during the eruption which they charted and recorded in detail. Since then the island is a restricted area to all but a team of biologists and botanists who are studying its colonization by animals and plants. Already small verdant areas have appeared and a variety of seabirds have made the lava cliffs their home.
As we slowly cruised off shore a profusion of kittiwakes, great black-backed gulls and fulmars glided around the ship in a fresh breeze. Surtsey is slowly succumbing to the action of wave and wind and has diminished notably in size over the last few decades.
During lunch we arrived in the waters off Heimaey and with the local pilot on board we came alongside in its sheltered small harbor. The volcanic cliffs are very photogenic and in addition make perfect nesting sites for kittiwakes and guillemots.
This is the largest of the Vestmannaeyar islands. They were named after Irish slaves or ‘West Men’ who resided here during the Viking Period. Heimaey is famous for its dramatic volcanic eruption which began on 23rd January 1973 and threatened to engulf the entire community living there. The bulk of the inhabitants were safely evacuated while teams of volunteers remained behind and saved the main part of the town by pumping massive quantities of seawater onto the encroaching lava.
A number of options were offered for the afternoon. The natural historians brought groups on an extended nature walk which included a visit to Eldfell, the crater from which the lava had poured, while those with a more photographic interest were taken for a photo oriented exploration of the area. Others boarded coaches and were shown around the island by local guides.
One of the highlights was a visit to the so-called ‘Northern Pompeii’. This is a part of the town where a number of the houses destroyed during the volcanic eruption have been excavated from out of the ash so that visitors can view them. Heimaey is once again a bustling and vibrant community.
