Breiðafjörður, west Iceland
Breiðafjörður is a large shallow bay, about 31 miles wide and 78 miles long, situated in the west of Iceland. It separates the region of the Westfjords from the south of the country. Breiðafjörður is encircled by mountains, including the glacier Snæfellsjökull on the Snæfellsnes peninsula to the south and the Westfjords peninsula to the north.
Breiðafjörður has a spectacular land and seascape consisting of shallow seas, small fjords and bays and an inner part of intertidal areas dotted with about 3,000 islands, islets and skerries. The area contains about half of Iceland's intertidal area.
The large intertidal zone is high in biodiversity and productivity and has extensive algal forests and other important habitats for fish and invertebrates. The area supports 230 species of plants and around 50 breeding bird species. Common Seal and Atlantic Grey Seal have their main haul-out sites on the islands and skerries. Several species of cetaceans are commonly found including Common Porpoise, White-beaked Dolphin, Orca and Minke Whale.
The many islands in Breiðafjörður have an unbroken history of human use but now only a few islands are inhabited all year round. Many islands are used for summer residences and natural resources such as eiderdown harvesting are the main source of income for many farmers. Some of the more well known islands are Flatey, Brokey, Skáleyjar, Hvallátur, Svefneyjar, Sviðnur, Hergilsey and Elliðaey.
If the weather is fine it is possible to see the coast line of the Westfjords from the Snæfellsnes peninsula but in reality they lie at a distance of up to 25 miles away. From Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula the Baldur ferry crosses Breiðafjörður via Flatey to Brjánslækur in the Westfjords.
Date: 6th June 2015
Location: view from between Ólafsvík and Grundarfjörður looking north towards Látrabjarg, Westfjords
Breiðafjörður has a spectacular land and seascape consisting of shallow seas, small fjords and bays and an inner part of intertidal areas dotted with about 3,000 islands, islets and skerries. The area contains about half of Iceland's intertidal area.
The large intertidal zone is high in biodiversity and productivity and has extensive algal forests and other important habitats for fish and invertebrates. The area supports 230 species of plants and around 50 breeding bird species. Common Seal and Atlantic Grey Seal have their main haul-out sites on the islands and skerries. Several species of cetaceans are commonly found including Common Porpoise, White-beaked Dolphin, Orca and Minke Whale.
The many islands in Breiðafjörður have an unbroken history of human use but now only a few islands are inhabited all year round. Many islands are used for summer residences and natural resources such as eiderdown harvesting are the main source of income for many farmers. Some of the more well known islands are Flatey, Brokey, Skáleyjar, Hvallátur, Svefneyjar, Sviðnur, Hergilsey and Elliðaey.
If the weather is fine it is possible to see the coast line of the Westfjords from the Snæfellsnes peninsula but in reality they lie at a distance of up to 25 miles away. From Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes peninsula the Baldur ferry crosses Breiðafjörður via Flatey to Brjánslækur in the Westfjords.
Date: 6th June 2015
Location: view from between Ólafsvík and Grundarfjörður looking north towards Látrabjarg, Westfjords
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Also in: Snæfellsnes peninsula
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