I’ve looked forward to sharing these photos for awhile now — the day I toured Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon in southern Iceland on a zodiac boat tour.
There are a couple of boat excursions around this glacier bay, but the zodiacs go up close and personal to the best spots. And visitors are provided with a full-body snowsuit for warmth:
That’s the massive glacier in the distance:
The bay in front of the glacier is filled with chunks of floating icebergs.
A truck transports our group to the put-in spot along the bay:
Heading out on the bay… first stop is the glacier’s edge way in the distance:
This is the glacier wall. Isn’t it overwhelmingly tall from this vantage point? Our guide points out that whoever is in the red zodiac in the distance is dangerously close to it — every few minutes a large chunk of ice falls off somewhere along this wall with a deafening ROAR that echoes across the bay and creates a mini tsunami ripple effect for those in close proximity.
After we’ve spent a bit of time observing the glacier’s edge, our zodiac driver zips us around the lagoon to scope out hunks of ice. It should be noted that this bay looks different every few hours as glaciers move in an out with the tides, gradually melting into the ocean water. That means that every single tour is unique, and it’s up to the zodiac driver to find interesting icebergs at any given time (spoiler alert: there are plenty). I don’t have much to add in the way of commentary so I’ll be quiet and let you scroll though the next batch of photos, admiring this outrageously beautiful scenery.
Our guide reveals that the James Bond movie Die Another Day shot here in 2002. He tells us they sealed off this bay from the ocean to desalinate the water so it would freeze more easily and they could drive a car across it during filming.
Almost time to head back to shore…
It was so neat to see these icebergs up close. I’m grateful it worked out at the last minute for me to join a tour. Here are the video highlights!
The bay freezes in the winter months so they only offer tours from April to October, but an on-site cafe is open year-round for visitors.
After the tour I did more exploring at Jokulsarlon (and its neighboring glacier bay, Fjallsarlon) — more photos of this spectacular place coming in tomorrow’s post.
Many thanks to Glacier Lagoon Tours for sponsoring my zodiac trip. Opinions are my own.
My husband and I are planning to do this tour. I would like to take my DSLR but I am afraid of it getting wet. Would you recommend a GoPro or waterproof camera for this tour?
Hi Jennifer! For what it’s worth, the raft / boat was really stable. At first I kept my camera safely protected in my bag while the raft was moving, only taking it out when we slowed to a stop. But gradually I felt more comfortable keeping my camera out the remainder of the boat ride, even as it was moving. I kept it securely around my neck. Some other people on the raft had DSLRs. I also brought my little point-and-shoot for video. If you’re feel more comfortable using the GoPro, then go that route — the peace of mind may be worth it to you. The only downside of the GoPro is that it can’t zoom in, and the main glacier is still a fair distance away from the raft (they can’t get too close for safety reasons in case a chunk falls off). So if you are okay with wider shots, then the GoPro is good. If you want the option of closer shots, maybe bring an old point-and-shoot if you have one (something less precious / costly than your DSLR) and use that? Good luck deciding, and enjoy the trip!!