At the Jökulsárlón we first visited the black beach, where the sea washes the icebergs from the lagoon back ashore. To our surprise the big chunks of ice were missing this time, and the warmth of the last few days had sadly blurred the beautiful textures in the ice.
The black beach without its chunks of ice
Even so, the beach had its quiet, understated side – just different from how we had imagined it. The beach is part of the Breiðamerkursandur, an outwash plain built up over the last few centuries by the Breiðamerkurjökull, Fjallsjökull and Hrútárjökull glaciers; since 2017 it has been part of Vatnajökull National Park, together with the Jökulsárlón.
In the clear ice, the warmth of recent days has blurred the structures.Two chunks in the surf at Jökulsárlón – the large ones were missing this time.Flat and dark, a chunk lies in front of the surf on Breiðamerkursandur.Inside the chunk the light plays, while the sand outside stays black.The tip of a chunk stands out against the light beneath the bright sky.Dark and jagged, the chunk of ice lies on the black sand.Out of focus in front – the surf washes ice from Jökulsárlón onto the beach.Round and pitted, the chunk is little more than an outline in the dark.The chunk stands upright against the light, with cracks through the ice.Only the edge is smooth – the rest of the chunk of ice stays dark.The small chunk stands out against the bright sky on the black sand.The surface shines, and the chunk lies low on the dark sand.Largely melted, the chunk lies in front of the bright horizon on the beach.Pitted ice in black and white – since 2017 the beach has belonged to Vatnajökull National Park.
