Djúpivogur and the Eggs of Merry Bay

We started the day with very bright sun, but quickly it turned foggy and cloudy and windy. We had to tender from the ship because there is no docking area for a large ship. The small harbor had many small fishing boats. They only fish 4 days a week and can bring in 800 kilos a day of cod. 1 kilo of cod is worth about $4.

The name Djúpivogur means deep bay. Only 500 people live here, so with our ship in port we tripled the population for the day. There are approximately 5,000 reindeer in Iceland and most are found in this eastern region. The biggest industry of the village is salmon farming. There were huge areas in the fjord with the rings holding the salmon. About 20% of the village is involved with this industry and they produce about 20,000 tons a year. It takes 2 years for the salmon to grow to the size to be sold.

The cliffs in the area are full of minerals but they cannot be mined. The highest mountain in Iceland that rises directly from sea level is Berufjörður and lies directly behind the village. In the morning it was completely covered with clouds, but became visible in the afternoon. It is 1069 meters high.

The mountains in this area are dated to 15 million years old. They are flat topped from the glaciers movement and have diagonal stripes also from the movement of the glaciers. Our first stop was at a waterfall. Our guide said it was very low due to the time of year.

We next stopped along the fjord to an area where nesting Eider ducks are protected.

We next heard the story about the Eggs. It was very difficult to totally follow but here is a link that will give you some historical information.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-eggs-of-merry-bay-iceland

The day ended sunny, but very windy.