Iceland - Northern Lights & Winter Wildlife

In the depths of winter, many holidaymakers journey south in search of some winter warmth and relaxation. We hope, however, that those with an adventurous spirit and the desire for a rather different, exciting winter break, might consider heading north instead — to Iceland, a land of volcanoes, bubbling mud-pools, waterfalls, glaciers and some surprising winter wildlife. If that is not enough to tempt you, the winter months also offer the best chance of witnessing nature’s most breathtaking light show, the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. On this short break, we will turn our eyes to the skies after dark each night in the hope that the Northern Lights will put on a display for us. On arrival, our tour leader will be happy to run a ‘camera clinic’, in order to ensure that any keen photographers in the group will be fully primed and ready, should the Aurora appear, to capture the event for posterity! Whilst we will be well placed for the light show, only ‘mother nature’ will decide whether or not a display will take place, with such factors as cloud cover and solar activity being out of Naturetrek’s control! We hope, however, that both will work in our favour and that during our short holiday in Iceland we will find ourselves mesmerised by dancing curtains of green and red light over landscapes of lava-fields, snowy mountains and dark fjords.

We begin our holiday with a short flight to Keflavik, Iceland’s international gateway, where we will spend our first two nights at a country hotel close to the capital. The hotel, situated next to a lake which is often frozen early in the season, is in easy reach of some of Iceland’s most celebrated scenery, including the mighty Gullfoss waterfall, an erupting geysir (Strokkur), and the beautiful Thingvellir National Park. We will visit all of these sites before returning to Reykjavík, Iceland’s small, colourful capital for some sightseeing.

Next, we drive north to the dramatic Snaefellsnes Peninsula, our base for two nights. As the road threads its way through the wild and empty landscape of western Iceland, we will not only admire the scenery but also keep a look-out for birds such as Whooper Swan, a party of wintering Snow Buntings, or the occasional group of Harlequin Ducks — all risking life and limb in the shoreline surf. We will spend the next two days enjoying this beautiful coastline and its winter wildlife.

In recent years, large shoals of Herring have gathered during the winter in sheltered fjords off the rugged Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Whilst Herring attract a multitude of seabirds, and are the favoured prey of numerous cetaceans, by far their most formidable nemesis is the ocean’s top predator, the Killer Whale or ‘Orca’. Pods of Orca have been seen regularly in the Grundafjordur area over the past few years, feasting on the fish between the months of January and April. Sightings of Humpback Whales have also started to increase over the past couple of years and it is a rare privilege to watch these ocean wanderers at close quarters against a backdrop of spectacular scenery. So, if the weather permits, we will take a boat excursion on Grundafjordur one afternoon. White-beaked Dolphin are regularly spotted here, and both Common and Grey Seals inhabit these waters, while Kittiwake, Razorbill, Fulmar, Common and Black Guillemots, Northern Gannet, and both Red-throated and Great Northern Divers are among the birdlife we may see. Sightings cannot, of course, be guaranteed, and should the cetaceans prove hard to find, or conditions be unsuitable for sailing, we will instead turn our attention to the region’s magnificent scenery (which inspired Jules Verne’s ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’), as well as look for winter birdlife along this stunning coastline.

Finally, we retrace our route south, leaving the dramatic landscapes of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula behind us as we slowly return to the Reykjanes Peninsula and to Keflavik airport for our flight home.