20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Deadly beauty in Jökulsárlón Lagoon

Jökulsárlón Lagoon is a small body of water filled with icebergs from the nearby Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier. We arrived for our boat tour of the lagoon a bit early, just in time to see an iceberg split in half and flip over. Unlike the opaque white ice on the top of the iceberg, the ice that had been in the water was a gorgeous, clear, blue. And as you can see, it can be sharp and angular as well, and very dangerous for boats that get too close.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2021
Date Uploaded: 10.2022
Photo Location: near Hof, Iceland
Camera: NIKON D750
Copyright: © Patricia Turner