I visited this WHS in 2022 and special thanks go to Nan who not only took care of booking our zodiac-style trip around Surtsey but also managed to include 2 walk-ins to further decrease the overall costs of our truly unforgettable boat trip. This was certainly the highlight of my trip in Iceland and was the main drawing factor that convinced me to finally book my trip to Iceland's "summer", and it certainly didn't disappoint.

The boat trips organised by SACA require a leeway of at least a week if you want to absolutely be sure not to miss out due to bad weather or sea conditions. For that reason I had planned to drive along the ringroad from Reykjavik in an anticlockwise direction if things were to work out as planned (and luckily this was this case) or in a clockwise direction and leaving Surtsey for last. This meant that I only kept online bookings for accomodation with free cancellation at least 24-48 hrs before which is very hard in Iceland's peak season, even if you book well in advance and eventually I could not find any hotel room available for the night after the boat trip. The night before our boat trip I slept in a B&B close to the gravel road leading the turf church of Keldur. Very early in the morning I drove to the ferry departure point of Landeyjahofn were I parked my car for free and bought my return passenger tickets to Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago made up of 15 islands built up in submarine eruptions. Make sure to go early, especially if you intend to go by car, as it can get very busy, although mostly in the afternoon.

The ferry ride to Heimaey doesn't take long and upon arrival, SACA's boat are usually berthed just a few metres away. Heimeay is home to eight million puffins every summer and many more millions of birds migrate there for breeding and feeding. At first the SACA boat trip was more of a pleasure ride around the several sea stacks, sea arches, coves and grottoes of the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, sometimes at full speed. For those who are not very used to boat trips, it is advisable to take a sea sickness pill and stay at the back of the boat for a less bumpy ride. From my previous experiences with boat trips, I stayed in front as it is the best place just in case you want to avoid seeing others throw up. Make sure to bring warm clothes, even though SACA provides comfortable overalls, and waterproof protection for your camera as you'll get wet with sea spray and wave splashes even on a sunny day. We managed to spot harbour seals and grey seals in the sea or resting on the seaweed covered rocks as well as countless sea birds, mostly puffins, gannets, razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes, etc.

When we approached Surtsey, we were able to see some vegetation and birds on the island but the rest is totally black and brown volcanic remains, apart from a reddish-rusty vein of volcanic rock in the higher cliffside of the island. Surtsey formed by a submarine eruption which started on 14 November 1963 and lasted around four years, one of the longest in Icelandic history. Our skipper was one of the first to set foot on the island and it was exciting to listen to him recall his experience. Nowadays only a few scientists are allowed to set foot on the island and there is a small building at the highest point of the island (155 metres above sea level) for their perusal and research. Surtsey was intensively studied by volcanologists during its eruption, and afterwards mostlu by botanists and other biologists as life forms gradually colonised the originally barren island. The undersea vents that produced Surtsey are part of the Vestmannaeyjar submarine volcanic system, which is also part of the fissure of the sea floor called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The marine reserve area just around the volcanic island is also part of the core area of this WHS and both Nan and I can both claim (perhaps a bit ashamedly) that we actually made contact with the WH core area to pick up Nan's cap which flew away as we were going round the island by boat.

Perhaps it was meant to be or we were extremely lucky or a bit of bit, as just after Nan got his cap back on board, our amazement towards Surtsey which was just in front of us, immediately shifted towards what looked like 6-8 long piles bobbing on the ocean's surface. Surely, it wasn't a comic mirage of Icelandic pile dwelling remains at such depths. Instead they were the massive dorsal fins of a pod of orca killer whales with their young feeding and resting at the surface. It was a really unexpected and special moment during an already unforgettable adventure - the cherry on the cake. On the way back we cruised by some other islands and sea stacks, also viewing a huge rock face with basaltic columns which really looks like a huge elephant (frequently seen on Instagram) and also a cheesy tourist moment inside a huge grotto with the most popular Titanic soundtrack. During this cheesy moment, I received a weather update notification that at the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon it was going to be a clear and sunny afternoon, so upon arrival back at the harbour and a quick group photo, I rushed to make it on the ferry back to Landeyjahofn and drove straight on, only to backtrack a bit the following days (not having found a hotel for the night, I actually slept in my rental car under the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon bridge gazing at the different shapes and sizes of ice heading towards Diamond Beach). This was definitely a long day but one of my favourites out of all my travels.