DRAFT **

                I am currently in progress of writing this complete blog report. I will be posting it as I complete each section. For now it will be posted out of sequence and order. For now until it is no longer a draft....if you want to read it in order, go to the bottom of the page and click on "Older Posts"

      Day 3, Wednesday, August 13, 2025- At Sea steaming for Iceland, and...... Day 4, Thursday, August 14, 2025- (3rd Port- 1st stop in Iceland), Djupivogur, Iceland 

     After a great night sleep following that spectacular day yesterday in Norway, its a good day today to just take easy today. We will be at sea all day, so its a great opportunity to enjoy this massive ship and kick back. We would be arriving in Iceland tomorrow morning at 8:00 am. Jen and I are really excited to (finally) make it to Iceland...... we have been looking forward to this for quite a few years

     My eyes opened at 4:45 am which was usual for me on this cruise; too excited and anxious. Of course I had to greet the day on the veranda. At 5:00 am the morning sky was just waking up and slowly opening its eyes. The sun was not ready yet, still about an hour before it peeked over the horizon. This is the time of day I love the best; to greet the new day while its waking up. Slowly the distant shapes of the waves of landscapes begin to appear and put some perspective into the emptiness of the pre-dawn gray. Then the birds slowly come to life. First they appear as distant barely recognizable shapes often playing tricks on your eyes. Eventually with the flicker of the gradually brightening horizon their soft outlines become apparent.

     The first birds to appear were Fulmars. They started appearing out of the distant early morning misty haze heading right for the bow of the ship. This course brought them right below our veranda. And they continued in a steady procession...... all day long, thousands of them! In fact during the entire daylight hours of this crossing five minutes didn't go by without Fulmars near or around the ship. I had never seen so many! Fulmars are an interesting bird, so enjoyable to watch. One of the birds that I call friend and I can count on when fishing offshore on cod boats in the winter. In fact, on this entire cruise I will see Fulmars the whole cruise from Norway all the way to the south of the U K! I ended up referring to this cruise as "the Flight of the Fulmar Cruise"! Since Jen and I were spending a casual day on the Statendam today, the only birds I saw all day (with the exception of an occasional few Kittiwake) while periodically watching from the outside decks or looking out the windows were and endless supply of thousands of Fulmar. 

                                       Good Morning from outside Djupivogur, Eastern Iceland! 

       

  The ship was scheduled to dock at 8:00 am. It was announced last evening that the entrance bay is too shallow as well as having a shallow entrance to the outer harbor, so the ship would have to anchor out in the bay. Also, there wasn't a docking facility large enough to accommodate large cruise ships. All of us would be shuttled o the harbor docks by tender boats. Sounds like a good plan to me..... that would be fun! Jen and I had scheduled a tour for the day called "Hofn Fishing Village and Local Culture Tour". Hofn is an older historic village that  hosts a small fishing harbor. That was exactly what we like and were really excited and looking forward to taking this tour. This bus tour began on the Djupivogur harbor dock at 8:30 am and returned around 1:00 pm. We met at 7:30 am in the world stage room where we all met each time for tour assignments..... we were there in our seats by 6:45!! 

     Morning came, and one look out of the veranda windows dampened our enthusiasm a little: Nordic Pea Soup!! Uh oh....... an unfortunate flashback to last years Alaskan cruise where we were socked in in Skagway. We went on the tour but really couldn't see much.... everywhere we looked was socked in with that thick gray marshmallow fluff! This was not how we wanted to absorb our first view of Iceland! I suppose we should be hopeful and enjoy whatever happens. It could be worse! We met a couple of the cruise that was repeating this same cruise. They had gone the previous week and they told us that the weather was so bad, stormy and windy, that they couldn't even get into three of the five ports in Iceland! Jen and I were keeping our fingers crossed...... tightly! And a few prayers never hurt!

     But even in the amazingly thick fog, you cold catch glimpses of the landscape through the little breaks in the soup. Yes, the fog was amazingly thick, but you could see patches of clear blue/gray sky looking up. The Captain reassured us several times over the ships intercom that the weather  would clear and it would be a gorgeous sunny day! As far as I am concerned, the captain is in charge, and he ordered a beautiful day! Anyway, we were here in Iceland and that's all we had wanted and really looked forward to! Our adventure begins!! 

     Jen's big smile when seeing Iceland for the first time was all I needed! There is nothing better! 

                            Puffin decoy documents the moment.....first time in Iceland! 

     Even though the fog was incredibly thick, you could see birds relatively clearly looking down from our veranda. The three bird species that I wished for on this trip: two subspecies of Common Eider, Atlantic Puffin, ad Skua definitely continue here in Iceland, in fact Iceland was the one location that seeing them would mean the most to me.  One of the seven subspecies of Eider that is absolutely on the top of my list of birds and my Eider subspecies list is the Icelandic Northern Eider (S. m. Islandica). I feel confident (but not over confident) that finding them should be something to look forward to, or I hope so at least! Although it is getting late for the Puffins nesting season, I am confident a good number of them will still be around. For Great Skua, if the seabirds are still here, so will they. 

     First birds of the morning...... Fulmars. They would materialize out of the fog, make a showing, and then disappear back into the fog. 

      In an instant, my first Iceland Puffin. It was swimming frantically escaping from the huge ship coming out of the fog. It swam a few yards and dove quickly. Even though the morning is so dreary and overcast, its already off to a great start! 

       More and more Fulmars were showing, most of them swimming which I assumed the thick soup had something to do with. 

                         Another Puffin swims to avoid the ship. This day is shaping up!

                   Unexpected..... a Common Murre/Guillemot comes and goes in the fog.

                                                          And a third Puffin!

                      Even in the thick blurry fog, the unique Puffin still looks impressive.

 

         Time to head down to the World Stage meeting area to receive our disembarking assignment. At this point we are excited to go and not have our spirits dampened by the imposing haar surrounding and covering us. I have been ocean fishing and waterfowling most of my life, and know quite well, that morning fog will eventually burn off.....just need to be patient. Often the soup is located in small areas, you can be in it heavy, and go a short distance and you are warmed by the sun. I had a feeling we would be OK!

    Jen and I were standing in the line on the muster station deck waiting to disembark and board the tender boat. 

     See what I mean! When we stepped out of the tender boat onto the harbor dock, the heavier fog was east of us and the harbor area was nearly free of the soup. The Statendam at anchor in the bay-

      In the parking lot above and overlooking the harbor, all the buses were lined up to take everyone to their specific tours for the day. At he end of the dock, we met our guide and his name was Ari (I wouldn't even make an attempt to repeat his last name)! Looking at the smile on his face told me that we were going to enjoy this man. He was kind and friendly and you can just warm up to him as soon as you met him. As it turned out, he was absolutely fantastic..... he made the tour such a pleasure, it was such a delight to meet him! Ari is a native Icelander and was born and lived in the village of Hofn, the destination of our tour. What better person to tell us about the local culture and landmarks?  Ari later told me that he was in the marketing business and worked for a very large corporation. He traveled all over the world and had recently retied to settle back in his home of Hofn. 

     Of course we asked him about the weather, and he reassured all of us that it will be a beautiful day! He just came from Hofn leaving there a few hours earlier, and it was bright and sunny all the way to within a few kilometers of where we were all standing. He told us that once we leave the harbor area and get to the coast road, the sky is clear. That is exactly what everyone wanted to hear..... smiles on faces returned! 

     On the way to and from Hofn, Ari pointed out all the landmarks and landscapes and told us wonderful stories of the history, myths, geological facts, cultures, etc. about them. He was fascinating to listen to. At one point, Ari even entertained us  by singing (and clucking) his version of the "Chicken Polka" which had some roots and significance in local culture. I still laugh when I remember that, he was great!!! 

       The views along the way were just spectacular. Jen and I had positioned ourselves on the left side of the bus to have the best view of the coast. "Bus birding thorough a bus window" would apply until we got to Hofn. It turned out OK for a couple of reasons, one of them being the windows on the bus were very large and quite clean. So, any images I was able to take would be decent enough to document the birds. As soon as we reached the coastal road, my first Iceland Eiders!! Even though they were hundreds of yards from the moving bus, I did see them which was a good start. I just had a feeling I would encounter so many Eiders in Iceland and I'm confident many would be close enough to get good close-ups. 

     The coastline was miles and miles of beautiful unspoiled beaches, marshes, rocky ledges. Just about everywhere you looked birds were present. Small flock of Red-breasted Mergansers..... my second favorite duck species. 

       A species that I wasn't thinking about before we arrived in Iceland: Whopper Swans.

     Another really interesting "phenomenon" for me was the lifestyle of the Northern Fulmar. I really had no idea about the life style of this special bird other than a general bit of knowledge from my experiences with them in New England. I knew the basics that they nested on cliffs in the North Atlantic and would forage on the ocean. They are a specialized seabird that have a very advanced olfactory sense and "smell" food on the sea. They like to follow fishing boats for the offal offerings which is exactly how I encounter them in the winter far offshore on the deck of fishing boats. From an artists perspective, I know they are quite a handsome bird with a unique bill/nostril shape and structure and are dressed in a beautiful soft gray plumage. But here in this area of Iceland, they were everywhere....and I mean everywhere!! You can see them out the window of the traveling bus, flying over the bus, behind the bus, ahead of the bus, and even alongside the bus as we were traveling down the road. This blew my mind! I couldn't comprehend this! It didn't happen once or twice, bit the whole drive down the coast road. It became clear why this was happening. On the right side of the bus in the short distance were the steep slopes of the mountains, perfect nesting cliffs. For the Fulmars, the coast road was just another piece of real estate in their nesting area. One of the coolest birding events I had ever experienced! 

                               As the drive moved along, more Whopper Swans. 

     The tide was low which exposed many of the mudflats, they were covered by feeding Shorebirds. I don't know what species. That is for another day. 

     The number of  Swans started to increase with smaller concentrations in some of the coves.

                                                           Graylag Geese-

     I was able to take a few images of the stunning Iceland landscapes. Ari explained to us that the angles lines through the mountain show the years of lava flow that kept building and building. 

                 Very excited....I wished I could have been closer- flock of Black-tailed Godwit.

                         Oh yes, did I mention the Fulmars flying alongside the bus? 

      Ari at one point Ari gave us the heads up that we would be driving by an area where the road would be closer to the ocean along the tops of the cliffs. He mentioned that great numbers of sea birds like this area. Of course that made my ears perk up. I asked him what kinds of seabirds he meant, and he replied (I think this is the spelling for what he said)......"Aeoarfugl". He tried to explain the English interpretation which he said a duck..... "I think you refer to them as "Eduer" or something like that. Its a duck that is black and white with a colorful green head. OMG, talk about an increase in my heart rate! I said to him did you mean Eiders? He said, that's it!! He also said that he didn't know what these ducks were because they were all brown. The black and white ones that were usually there are gone. Holy Duck, Ari was describing a drake Eider moulting raft, something I always read about but had never seen! I was on the edge of my seat! The first glimpse came a short distance later as we approached the area. 

        And in a minute, there they were! Thousands of them, all spread along the mile long section of coast that was visible. Raft after raft of summer moulting drake Eiders. This was an event that I never dreamed would happen, never even thought about it! And in a minute, it was over, the bus passed by the area. Thank you Ari!! Even though it was through a bus window, I am thrilled for the opportunity!

     A short time later Ari mentioned that we would be going by another area, a lagoon that is an important winter migration location for Whooper Swans. He said one/third of the wintering population of  Swans in Iceland can be found here and they come here to moult. The lagoon is called "Lon". 

     Our first look at the Icelandic Sheep and Horses framed in the background of the breath-taking landscapes. 

                     The Sheep were everywhere! They especially like the tidal flats!

                             Ari had quite the stories and legends to tell about these dormant volcanos. He made the history lesson a little bit humorous. He had such a great sense of humor!

                       

                                                       More Graylag Geese- 

                              A tunnel we passed through on the way to Hofn. 

                                                    Better look at the Horses.......

                                    .....and some amazing Glaciers. Ari told us all about them. 

                     On the outskirts of the village of Hofn. First Black-headed Gulls of the day-

                                                   More stunning Glaciers-

       The bus turned down the narrow streets in the village of Hofn. A pair of European Oystercatchers feeding in the village soccer field. Hofn is a beautiful and charming village that is fairly stocked with all the essential stores, restaurants, ample numbers of rentals and airbnb's, a medical clinic and even a liquor store. Hint: Icelanders don't really drink (well, maybe one or two, wink-wink)! 

                            ..... and a steady supply of Black-headed Gulls

           Because of the smaller and intimate size of the village, it becomes easily congested with tour buses. The village does its best to accommodate all the tourism. To facilitate all the bus and people traffic and congestions, busses are assigned arrival times because of the limited spaces and areas to park them.  We were a bit early for our arrival time so Ari decided to drive around the village a little bit, and then take a short ride to a little conservation area loop road to spend about fifteen minutes. This was absolutely perfect for Jen and I!! 

       The narrow road was about a quarter mile long and ended in a loop on the edges of this enormous marsh which seemed to stretch to infinity. All I cold hear was the rasping squawking of Arctic Terns; they were everywhere! I hadn't stepped out of the bus for half a minute and I was already pushing the auto wind on my camera. Arctic Terns, Black-headed Gulls were buzzing by while the marshes nearby were full of swimming fowl.   

          My attention was directed to the bay, ponds and creeks in the marshes. A Mallard hen and a breeding plumage Red-throated Loon were nearby. 

          Again, Arctic Terns were all around the area with concentrations along the opposite shorelines.  

             The numbers of Arctic Terns were quite extraordinary passing by me only yards away while I was standing there. 

      And another unexpected observation: Fulmars swimming and flying over the marshes! Wow! 

                               The numbers of Black-headed Gulls was impressive. 

                                Its not often you have Arctic Terns this close-       

      Time to look for ducks. Tufted Ducks were quite numerous with a few Mallards here and there.

                                    A nice bonus; a hen Barrow's Goldeneye. 

     On the Alaska cruise, it seemed that Jen and I were the only ones interested in birds on the tours and excursions. The same was true for our group here in Hofn. We were the only ones enjoying the birds. Everyone else from this group was more interested in sightseeing which is absolutely fine, the sights in the area were incredible. Ari noticed our intense interest in the birds and came up to me and asked about my interest in birds. I told him about myself, what I did professionally and he was very interested. Jen decided to take my Puffin decoy out of my camera day bag and show it to Ari. He fell in love with it immediately. He told me that he had never seen anything like this and he just couldn't stop holding it and examining it. This is and will always be my favorite part of bird carving..... seeing people enjoy my work. He asked me if I had any pictures of any more of my work. Being in Iceland, I figured I would show him the pictures of the Iceland Eiders I had carved a few years ago. He gave me a huge smile when he looked at the images.... he said lovely "Eduers" when he saw the images. He was really fascinated with them.  At one point, I thought he was going to take the Puffin home with him! He said he wished his wife could see the decoy because she loved Puffins! I smiled and told him the best I could do for him was to send him these images of him holding the Puffin to show his wife. He loved the idea!  It's wonderful to be standing in this beautiful country meeting a wonderful and engaging kind person and watch them enjoy my art! It doesn't get any better than that.....or so I thought! 

   While holding my Puffin decoy, he grabbed my arm and told me to walk with him. He wanted me to meet someone.  He led me to a parked car on the side of the road which had a massive spotting scope positioned out the car window. Ari introduced me and told me he was the  local birdwatcher who was well known in Iceland. I can't remember his name and probably couldn't pronounce it. I wrote it down on one of my business cards but misplaced it and still can't find it. We chatted for a little while with Ari translating, but one thing was for sure...... he also loved that Puffin decoy and the images of the Eider decoys. Jen and I wished that we spoke the language, it would have been a great conversation! We shook hands and said "bless" which is an easy way to say Good Bye. This day continues to be full of incredible and wonderful surprises!! 

     It was getting close to the time for our bus to leave and head to the village. On the short walk back to the bus, I asked Ari if it would be possible on the way back to Djupivogur that we could make a short stop at the seabird cliffs where all the Eiders were. I wanted to observe it firsthand and take some unobstructed pictures. I noticed a small pull-off area there for the bus. I didn't want to inconvenience all the other passengers who were probably not interested in the birds because I knew that would not be  fair. But maybe....Just for a few minutes??. He said "absolutely" "I will be happy to! It will be fun!". I think Ari was excited that someone was so interested in their Eiders.  I knew Icelanders valued them as a symbol of Iceland, The Eider down Farms are an important and legendary industry in Iceland. Jen could see my ear to ear smile and I had a feeling she knew exactly what had just happened..... which she did! 

                   As we were leaving to board the bus, one last look around....... Arctic Terns.........

      ........ a small flock of flying Eiders with the Lighthouse in the background.......

                                              ...... and more Arctic Terns!

      The bus stopped in the center of the village near several renowned restaurants and the areas major fish processing plant. I love these types of signs. Every little town and village that encourage tourists have them prominently displayed. The bus stopped next to a small building which were the rest rooms. Ari told us to walk down to the picnic tables below when we were finished taking a break. We would all gather there to begin the walking part of the tour to the small harbor. 

    While we were waiting for everyone to assemble at the picnic tables, there was a steady movement of flaying Ravens......

                               .....and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, the only other species of Gulls seen along with  the large numbers of Black-headed and fewer Herring Gulls in this village. 

      Ari sat with us at the picnic tables and told us all about the fascinating history of  the village for about fifteen minutes. He than said we would take a short walk to the harbor. When we got to the edge of the small harbor where the commercial fishing boats were moored, my attention immediately went to the swimming birds; Fulmars! Again, this species shows me something new about itself. In New England, a swimming Fulmar in a harbor would be a huge event...... birders would come from all around to see it! But here, its completely normal. And for me it was a great opportunity to photograph them up close and at almost eye level. The Fulmars were quite relaxed and calm and were a little bit curious swimming closer to take a look at us all lined up standing on the bulkhead. 

    After the short break at the bulkhead, Ari said it was time to go. He was a great host and guide and his calm and friendly manner along with his knowledge made this tour absolutely enjoyable! Everyone honored Ari with a standing ovation which brought a big smile to his face. Back on the bus heading back to the ship. Jen and I switched seats on the way back with another couple to be on the right side of the bus so the coast was easily viewed on the drive back. This is a big flock of Black-headed Gulls. 

    As we moved down the highway, Ari filled in the time by singing his famous "Chicken Polka"!! Everyone on the bus enjoyed it so much. After he finished his encore, Ari walked towards the back of the bus and sat across the aisle from us. We chatted some a while longer for about fifteen minutes. He is a really fascinating man and was happy that we were enjoying his village and his tour. Jen and I thanked him again for his knowledge and him showing us his magnificent country, and also for his willingness to stop for us at the seabird cliffs. 

   

        Before long we were traveling by the Swan lagoon again. This time, I was at a better angle in my seat to take a better images. 

     And what seemed like a few minutes, the bus started downshifting and the driver slowed considerably. The big bus slowly pulled off the road to a very small pull-off area right on top of the cliffs.... we were here!! Ari announced that we would be stopping here for a few minutes of sightseeing outside the bus. In fact the real reason for stopping was for the Eiders. About half the forty people on the bus got off to enjoy this! The distance from the bottom of the step of the bus to the edge of the cliffs were about eight feet! That is close! And there they were..... thousands of Eiders. The rafts had spread out up and down the coast since earlier in the morning, but there were still plenty to enjoy. I have to be honest, my heart was racing from excitement..... I just couldn't believe what I was seeing thousands of drake Iceland Eiders a few hundred feet below me! I was taking pictures as fast as my camera would allow trying to get everything on my SD card. Ari was standing next to me and realizing what I was doing, he grabbed my arm and said "Keith, slow down, enjoy, we will stay as long as you like"!! I told him that this wouldn't be fair to everyone else, he said not to worry they are enjoying the scenery and the break. Ari told me that this was the first time he had done this on his tour, he will probably make it part of his tours in the future. There were a percentage of hens in the rafts, but seeing all the remnant and increasing white plumage in most of the birds showed that the majority were drakes. I have no words to describe this!  

             Mixed in with all the Eiders were a few small flocks of Harlequin Ducks. This just gets better and better! 

       And not to forget the Fulmars! Its almost like they were trying to upstage the Eiders..... they were everywhere. They would fly by at all distances, back and fourth and up and down the cliff faces. 

         .               .... and sometimes close enough to reach out and touch!

                         .......... the drake Eiders are easy to pick out in the rafts.

   So much to experience here on the top of the seabird cliffs. Fulmars would often land below our feet. 

    Ari looked over to me and asked me if I had enough time here, which I told him I did, and then he said "You sure"!? The brief time here at the cliffs were absolutely astonishing, a memory to last forever! THANK YOU Ari!! Back on the bus. Impressive numbers of Shorebirds in many species taking advantage of the massive tidal flats-

       In one brief look as the bus passed by this small cove, two sister hens with a single Eider duckling which was also another first on this day. 

                 .... and nearby, another hen with two Eider ducklings. 

       I still struggle with this image. The image shows a small gathering of European Coot...... which are uncommon in Iceland. 

                                 More Eiders closer to the cruise ship harbor. 

                          The only Great Black-backed Gulls I saw in this area. 

                 ......and a few more Eiders before we arrived at the harbor.

        Four and a half  hours later from when we started our trip, we were back at the dock waiting in line to board the tender boats to take us back to the Statendam. Jen and I said our Good-byes to Ari. We told him how much we appreciated him and how much he just made our day so enjoyable. For us, there was so much more than just the well deserved free-handed contribution to Ari's pocket for making the day so special. He helped us create wonderful memories that were absolutely unforgettable. 

     In the inside Harbor a few Gulls milled around. One of the Gulls of interest was this European Herring Gull with the gray primaries and white under wings which I have no idea what species or hybrid it is. The other was a beautiful adult Black-headed Gull. 

                           Oh yes.......many Fulmar trading in and out of the inner harbor. 

       Our tender pulled up to the dock and we started boarding it. As soon as Jen stepped onto the tender, she noticed that one of the square porthole-type windows on the ceiling in the bow was opened. Thinking on her feet Jen went immediately to the seats below the opened window. She knew it would be perfect for me so I could stand up and have full camera access to the harbor on the ride back to the ship. Way to go Jen! And as it turned out, it did give me that "extra birding time" on the ten minute ride to the Statendam. Although most of the birds were a little distant, there were many birds to see. Fulmars hanging out at the processing plant bulkhead........

                           ..... a few Eider were swimming peacefully in the harbor.......

      ...... and, the first Black Guillemot of the day. They were scattered throughout the inner and outer harbor.......

                                                           ....... yup; Fulmars!

                                             Herring Gulls were common here........

                                             ...... more Eiders and Black Guillemot........

     When we finally arrived back on the Statendam it was around 1:30 pm. Jen and I brought a couple of sandwiches with us for lunch on the bus. We weren't hungry, so time for a little nap. 

          I wasn't tired and still a little wound up most likely due to this amazing seabird cliffs and the mass of moulting drake Eiders. I relaxed a on the veranda figuring the chilly fresh air would help me relax. It was a good time to enjoy this stunning scenery. 

       Good time to take another Puffin picture to continue documenting its travels here in Iceland.

       There were birds in the area flying and swimming. This Fulmar flew so close I couldn't fit it into the camera's frame! 

Soon the Puffins became active, they started flying and swimming by the ship at a distance

           Another welcoming surprise was this fledgling Common Murre with its adult male parent. The adult had caught some kind of prey and was offering it to its young.  

                                          A pair of Puffin fly by the Murre pair-

                             A continual stream of Puffins buzzing the anchored ship- 

                                                  The Eiders are getting closer! 

        At 4:00 pm sharp, the horn blew on the Statendam, and we were soon underway. Jen and I were invited to a welcome to Iceland formal dinner at 6:00 pm which gave me about an hour on the veranda before I needed to get ready for dinner. 

        In the distance, a family of Whooper Swans swam across the bow of the ship- 

       There were clusters of birds in the distant shoreline, mostly Eiders with some Black Guillemot and Puffins-

                                                                       Eiders-

                                                             Eiders and a Puffin or two- 

                                                       Yes indeed, more Eiders- 

                                                      Puffins-

      Steaming out of the huge bay towards the Icelandic Sea were many groups of rafted Fulmar- 

        . and growing numbers of Puffins heading out to sea to their distant fishing grounds out to sea. 

        The day just got better and better....... an amazing show of Rainbows! I had never had seen double rainbows before, and there were many of them...... even a triple Rainbow. 

                               Between the flourish of Rainbows, Puffins filled the time. 

             The last birds of the day before dinner were Gannets and Puffins. The Gannets were the first ones we saw for the day. 

                     The last image of the day on the veranda was this spectacular Rainbow- 

                                                                 Time for dinner! 

              Being in Iceland, and for this special dinner, Jen and I chose Icelandic Lamb shank and Roasted Duck Breast for our entrees', with a Shrimp Cocktail and Escargot for appetizers! A great finish to an absolutely stellar day!! It really was a perfect day! 

           As we said Good Night to Djupivogur and the charming village of Hofn, we watched the pellucid night sky glow and come alive with a bright wash of  swirling bright diamonds. Never seen so many stars and an crisp evening sky like it! Today was an unbelievable first day introduction to Iceland. In fact, Djupivogur and Hofn turned out to be one of our favorite of the three stops we enjoyed the most in Iceland. Jen and I would love to go back here and spend a few days and explore the area. 

      For today: Iceland Eider-yes, Atlantic Puffin-yes, Common Murre-yes, Black Guillemot-yes, Atlantic Harlequin-yes, Great Skua-no. Add to the list: Black-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Coot, Graylag Geese, Whooper Swan, Arctic Tern, Tufted Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Mallard, Eurasian Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, (possible) Herring Gull hybrid, Black-legged Kittiwake, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Misc. Shorebird species (unidentified), Raven, Northern Fulmar, Northern Gannet,  

     Tomorrow morning will be scenic cruising of the Berufjordur area before we arrive in the port of Akureyri in northeast corner of Iceland. 

   Day 5, Friday, August 15, 2025, (4th Port- Second stop in Iceland)- Akureyri, Iceland

                         We are scheduled to arrive in Akureyri Harbor at 10:00 am

      Note*- I am in the process of writing this complete blog. I am posting each day report in sequence as I write them, but I am posting them in reverse. When I am finished with the complete cruise report, I will re-post them in sequential order. For now, if you want to start reading this trip report in order from the first day, click on "OLDER POSTS" below right at the bottom of each page until you find the start of this trip report. Keep checking back every few days or so for updated reports. I will post them as soon as I write them! Thank You....I hope you are enjoying the report!