Siglufjordur, 5/29/2025, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Iceland
Today we got to experience some of the rich history and culture of Iceland with a visit to Siglufjordur, the herring capital of Iceland. Here in Siglufjordur, there’s a living museum depicting the days of the herring fisheries, complete with a performance by the Herring Girls who demonstrated the fine art of cutting and salting herring. After the demonstration, we visited three buildings, each displaying what life was like in the early 1900’s when herring ruled.
Steve Morello has had a long and colorful career in the natural history world. Born in New Jersey, he was lucky to be able to summer on the shores of Cape Cod. Whether it was exploring the tidal pools, snorkeling along the beach, or hiking in the dun...
Our day started with great views of the small islands and rocks that are part of Vestmannaeyjar. Thousands of birds nest on these cliffs surrounded by rough seas and constant wind. Today, the calm embraced the rock stags. We entered the sheltered bay of Heimaey, the largest of these islands. It was a truly incredible sight: a narrow passage with a rock wall on one side and the newest lava fields formed during the famous 1973 eruption. Our guests explored the town of Vestmannaeyjabær. They visited the Eldheimar Museum and hiked to Eldfell’s summit. This cone was formed during the last eruption, and its name means Hill of Fire in Icelandic. Today was an incredible way to finish our exploration of Iceland, circumnavigating this remote land filled with natural and cultural wonders.
It was a majestic day on National Geographic Explorer . We headed to the frontier of the east of Iceland to observe everything from ice chunks on black sand beaches to reindeers galloping across fields of green. The 4x4 off roading added adventure to the journey, and the falls took our breath away with their impeccable beauty. Even a quaint walk through town gave us a sense of tranquility. Guests enjoyed delicious traditional Icelandic hotdogs, which have been praised since the beginning of the voyage. The highlight of recap was a presentation from the undersea team. Their macro footage brought color and wonder to a gray day. Who knew so much beauty could be found in the depths of the fjords? To complement this exciting recap, kelp cocktails were on offer. As we ended the night, guests learned about Norse mythology during a lecture from Dorothee Hippel. It was another memorable day in Iceland.
National Geographic Explorer sailed into Borgarfjörður Eystri early in the morning, and fog was still covering the whole landscape. Fog is a specialty of the East Fjords of Iceland and can sometimes settle for days. But we were fortunate, and it lifted as the morning passed. We had a lot of activities planned, including hiking, mountain biking, and nature walks. We wandered the trails covered in Nootka lupine and wild native flowers. We observed many birds, like the golden plover, the whimbrel, and the black-tailed godwit. These birds landed on the trail repeatedly for us. As the morning went on, temperatures rose, and it became sunnier and sunnier! We took advantage of some free time in the afternoon with an opportunity to visit “Puffin Hill.” The boardwalk allowed us to get quite close to the puffins, and we could see them coming and going from their burrows with their beaks full of fish for their young pufflings. We also visited the lovely hamlet of Bakkagerði and enjoyed a tasting at the local brewery. It was an absolutely perfect day, filled with nature, wildlife, and meeting the locals.
