The Jökulsárlón Iceberg Story

Given the subject matter, it’s very appropriate this image from my first trip to Iceland, represents discovery of a destination to which I would return repeatedly. A single trip to Iceland, it seems, is only the tip of the iceberg.

The trip was a gift from my wife for my 60th birthday, undertaken in June of 2013.  Our itinerary ended at Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon on the southeastern edge of the island. Unexpectedly, this became the highlight of the trip. In spring, thawed from the grasp of winter, the outflow current of the lagoon carries ice calved from the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier through an outlet into the ocean.

The shore of the lagoon easily accessible to visitors only hints at the variety of glacial ice found in the lagoon. The glacier face is miles away, now constantly retreating in the face of global warming. During the warmer summer months, chunks break free from ice up to 100’ above the lake surface. The ice can take from months (small fragments) to years (large icebergs) to cross the lake and exit into the ocean. Random shapes are sculpted by wind, water and sun, a continuous spiral of destruction. The ice may have taken 10,000 or more years to form.

The allure of icebergs draws intrepid visitors to board crafts and venture into the lagoon, approaching the glacial face and observing the largest icebergs from a more intimate distance. I choose to ride in an inflatable Zodiac. When we encountered this behemoth, the exposed surface easily the size of three double story houses, I asked the guide to circle slowly as close as he felt comfortable. The image is a composite of multiple frames to create a panorama. The spectacular hues are the mystery of sunlight and thick ice, the black streaks the deposition of volcanic ash. The combination is a testament melding fire and ice. As the forces of nature whittle away ice above and below the water, the changing center of gravity will eventually cause the sleeping giant to suddenly roll in the water. Notice the straight, slightly angled sharp edge of ice close to the waters surface. This was previously the waterline, revealed by recent incremental rotation of the iceberg mass. Often during this transition, the rotation is preceded by a sharp crack. The movement imparts a weight imbalance which splits the iceberg into two or more smaller forms. The momentary drama, death throes of ice born a millennium earlier, is spellbinding.