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Jökulsárlón

Austurland  >  Iceland

A large glacial lake in southeastern Iceland and a great spot for many arctic species.

Added* by Bas Engels
Most recent update 27 March 2024

Description

Jökulsárlón is one of the biggest and most famous glacial lakes of Iceland and is located near the edge of Vatnajökull National Park in the southeastern part of Iceland. The area contains a large deep lake (248 meters!) with floating icebergs and a small stream flowing towards the ocean. The lake is filled with fish, getting trapped during high tide and is therefore a great place for observing piscivorous birds, like Arctic Tern. They breed on the shoreline of the area and hunt for small prey on the lake. Other breeding species that can be found here are Arctic Skua and Common Eider.

Many other species can be seen on the lake, like Barnacle Goose, Whooper Swan, Northern Fulmar and many species of gull. Near the mouth of the river, where the freshwater enter the ocean, large groups of seal can be seen, waiting for fishes to return to the ocean.

Further offshore, large flocks of Northern Gannet can be seen.

Details

Access

The area is easy accessable due to multiple parking lots and the ringroad bridge going over the river. You can walk over the beach and walk a bit near the lake itself.

Terrain and Habitat

Lake , River , Sea , Beach

Conditions

Flat , Hilly , Rocky , Open landscape , High water possible

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Spring

Route

Unpaved road

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

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Map

Top 5 birds

Other birds you can see here

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