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Stew Gitlin | profile | all galleries >> Iceland >> The Westmann Islands tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

The Westmann Islands | The Western Fjords Area | Akureyri and the Northern Area | Selfoss and the Southern Area | Reykjavik | Miscellaneous Pictures

The Westmann Islands

Heimaey Island is the only island in the Westmann Islands group that is inhabited. There are currently about 4,300 residents on the island, down from the 5,300 that lived there before the 1973 eruption of the Eldfell volcano. Because of bad weather, the entire fishing fleet was in port, and was able to evacuate the entire island in just a few hours.

About 420 homes were destroyed by the lava flow, and the flow threatened to sweep into the island's harbor, which would have had a devastating impact on the island's ability to survive. What the islanders did, was to pump almost 2 billion gallons of cold sea water on the lava flow, and managed to stop the flow before it reached the harbor.

The island is also home to about 40% of the world's Puffin population.
The Puffins of Heimaey Island
:: The Puffins of Heimaey Island ::
Irridafoss waterfall on the way from Keflavik airport to the ferry for Heimaey island
Irridafoss waterfall on the way from Keflavik airport to the ferry for Heimaey island
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An Eider Duck and Chick
An Eider Duck and Chick
The ferry to Heimaey Island
The ferry to Heimaey Island
The port of Heimaey Island
The port of Heimaey Island
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If you get lost, follow the fish
If you get lost, follow the fish
Islanders like to paint pictures on the side of buildings
Islanders like to paint pictures on the side of buildings
g9/28/417028/3/161221829.F0OTiyL4.jpg Eldfell volcano on the left, Helgafell on the right
Eldfell volcano on the left, Helgafell on the right
Picture of pictures from the eruption of Eldfell
Picture of pictures from the eruption of Eldfell
g9/28/417028/3/161221866.0qUsA470.jpg The remains of a house destroyed by the Eldfell volcano
The remains of a house destroyed by the Eldfell volcano
Partial excavation of a house buried by the volcano
Partial excavation of a house buried by the volcano
g9/28/417028/3/161221819.vfRqp1M1.jpg The lava field as it was flowing down to the harbor
The lava field as it was flowing down to the harbor
g9/28/417028/3/161221836.9tBhJgZ2.jpg Plants growing even in the lava field
Plants growing even in the lava field
Markers showing where houses stood before the volcano
Markers showing where houses stood before the volcano
A boat trip along the coast of the island
A boat trip along the coast of the island
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Thousands of nesting birds
Thousands of nesting birds
g9/28/417028/3/161221858.ibweAs6V.jpg Boat captain playing the sax to hear the acousics inside a cave
Boat captain playing the sax to hear the acousics inside a cave
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Drying fish
Drying fish
Oystercatcher birds
Oystercatcher birds
A ringed-necked plover
A ringed-necked plover
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Our flight back to the mainland
Our flight back to the mainland