Iceland: Day 7 - Hvítserkur & Hindisvík Bay

July 1, 2004

Our main destination for Northwest Iceland was around Hindisvík where we were hoping to see some seals. We first stopped at Hvítserkur but there was only the petrified troll, which wasn't as exciting as it sounded... (we must have been spoiled by the flower pots of New Brunswick!)

The sign at Hindisvík Bay looked promising as a regular seal breeding ground but as we tried to follow a tractor path to the water, we saw only greylag geese, eider ducks, horses and sheep. Oh, and we got attacked by terns once again. We finally decided to go check out the sheep more closely... after all, they'd been showing us the way all day. And they didn't disappoint. As we rounded the rocky point, we found the seals and spent a happy hour watching at the seals and barking at them. At one point we saw a bunch of vans in the parking lot and with our binoculars we saw that we once again had the company of professional photographers but maybe they didn't see the seals cause they left without coming out to the point.

We drove on for another half hour or so and at 2am we enjoyed the 'sunset' and went to sleep in hotel Clio at the side of the road.

Hvítserkur is a petrified troll (or a mass of igneous rock 15 m high housing ravens and fulmars).

Rubby climbs the stairs to pass the fence which is meant to keep the horses from getting out.

A little bird greets us next to the abandoned farm house.

The tractor tracks lead us through the field to the water.

 
Baby birds going for a swim.


The baby birds are protected in their little pool.

 
The terns start their attack. We're pretty sure Alfred Hitchcock came up with "The Birds" after an encounter with these Icelandic birds!

 
Tern eggs - this is the reason for the ferocious attacks!


There's always one black sheep in the family, isn't there?!

This mother sheep was quite a character. Looking like a 'hula' sheep, she was very protective of her kids. But we owe her cause she showed us the way to the seals.

 
The kids grab a drink and later mom calls them to follow her.

 
Some oyster catchers.

  
Finally we found the seals! These ones are checking us out from the water.

 
Some of the seals were lying out on the rocks, others played in the water with the Eider ducks.


Rubby barking at the seals - we don't know what he said to them but it caught their attention!

The shoreline glowing in the evening sun.

an old abandonned stove

Dried fish and seafood hanging outside a local craft store/museum.

The hotel Clio always has great sunset views!

At 2am the suns was 'setting' in the land of the midnight sun.

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