Situated in southeastern Iceland, Jökulsárlón – or the Glacier Lagoon – is a famous attraction that has people flocking from all over the world. Here you can watch glaciers calf off Vatnajökull in their array of hues from transparent to baby blue. You can also watch them begin their journey, destined to end up as no more than ice cube-sized on Diamond Beach.

Vatnajökull is Iceland’s largest glacier, covering between 8% and 10% of Iceland at any given point. During the warmer months (and now all the time due to global warming), small chunks break off near the edges as glacial ice melts. Those that fall into the water become icebergs.

Jökulsárlón has been forming since the 1930s. The process started earlier in the late 19th century due to Breiðamerkurjökull glacier (part of Vatnajökull glacier) retreating. It is approximately 18 km² / 7 square miles, meaning that it can contain a large number of icebergs (and usually does); it is also Iceland’s deepest lake. It is still growing as the glacier continues to retreat by about 200 metres per year.

Icebergs in Jökulsárlón are affected not only by the tidal waters of the Atlantic but also the wind. This combination, along with how the iceberg melts, causes the icebergs to capsize and reveal their undersides. As a result, you can see icebergs of many hues and shades between completely transparent to white and blue.

The colour depends on the conditions of when it became ice. White is formed from compressed snow that still has a lot of air trapped between the crystals. It is also usually very “young” in comparison to other shades and colours. Because it reflects all light equally, we see it as being white. Blue ice is older and is more compressed than white ice, allowing it to absorb more red light. You can also have clear ice, which formed through the slow freezing of water that did not have much oxygen or air bubbles trapped.

Blue, white and clear icebergs are common in Jökulsárlón. While other clours of icebergs exist (green and black usually, which contain either algae, sediment or a combination of both), these are very rare in Jökulsárlón, although you will sometimes see marbled icebergs (a combination of different layers).

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