Megan Whittaker Photography: Vestmannaeyjar here we come.

My friend Sara and I decided to go on a little adventure and because I never got a chance to visit Vestmannaeyjar (Westmann Islands) the last time I was in Iceland we decided to venture there. We travelled via coach from the main Reykjavik BSI bus station to Ϸórlakshöfn where we caught the ferry to Heimaey, the largest of the Westmann Islands.

The Herjólfur ferry heading back to Ϸórlakshöfn with the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in the background

The Islands got their name (Westmann Islands) from the Irish slaves that were captured by the Norse Gaels. The Islands have quite a tormented and bloody history. Not long after Ingólfur Arnarson arrived in Iceland, his brother Hjörleifur was murdered by the Irish slaves (Westmann) he had brought with him. Thus, Ingolfur tracked them down to Vestmannaeyjar and killed them all. The English raided the Islands throughout the 15th Century, then the Islands suffed a horrific Algerian pirate attack in 1627 whereby 36 islanders were killed and 242 were kidnapped and taken to north Africa.

Plaque to inform tourists of the Islands history

It was the volcanoes that caused a lot of despair after that especially when the volcano Eldfell erupted unexpectedly at 1.45am on 23rd January 1973, causing the entire islands 5000 inhabitants to be evacuated to the mainland. It erupted for 5 months and covered some of the town under 30 million tonnes of lava.

The remains from the Eldfell volcanic eruption with the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in the background.

Now it is home to the largest Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) colony in the world with over 4 million breeding on the islands every summer and other bird life.

Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) taken along Ofanleitishamar.

Raven (Corvus corax) flying away after stealing a cliff nesting birds egg.

Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria) keeping an eye on the girl with the camera.

Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) guarding the nest which is nearby.

A tasty dish for the Islanders is dried cod heads which are traditionally dried outside by hanging them on stock stacks utilising the wind and sun elements. Nowadays they are usually dried indoors using geothermal energy but sometimes you come across the tradiational method.