When I got to Jökulsárlón near Vatnajökull National Park I was kinda bummed at the weather. Actually I was really bummed. It was very overcast, foggy, and rainy. I had myself convinced that taking photos was not going to yield me anything worthwhile. Then I looked out over the icy lagoon toward a monster glacier and saw an amphibious vehicle full of eager tourist drifting by. I knew this scene was important for me to capture. It pretty much summed up the epicness of this place for me. It really was perfect for putting into perspective how massive these floating chunks of glacier really are. The growth of Jökulsárlón from 3.1 square miles in 1975 to it current size of 6.9 square miles is a strong indicator that the glacier fueling the lagoon is retreating due to climate change. If this is something that interests you, I highly recommend watching the film “Chasing Ice”. The work that James Balog has done to capture this undeniable change is remarkable to say the least, plus if you are an adventure and photography junkie like me, you will really get a kick out of those elements of the film.
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