Into the wild

Looked at in a certain way, the map of Iceland could be seen to resemble the outline of an animal or organism. The long, protruding Reykjanes and Snæfellsnes peninsulas become the organism’s appendages and the Westfjords become its head.

The Westfjords have been and still are a very important area for Iceland’s fishing industry, although much of this activity has by now been consolidated into the region’s largest town, Ísafjörður. Nevertheless, the Westfjords comprise Iceland’s most remote and sparsely populated region. This area is known for its countless deep fjords and its white and golden sand beaches.

These beautiful beaches and steep fjord cliffs lead into Iceland’s clearest ocean water. The ocean here has a great variety of dive sites. There are many wrecks and old artifacts to be explored. The ocean around these fjords is rich in marine life—these are great waters for observing monkfish—and it is the only place where hard coral is found off the shores of Iceland. During the summer, whales and dolphins often accompany fishermen on their way out to sea.