Surtsey Island

Surtsey, on the UNESCO World Heritage list, from July 7, 2008

Surtsey, Iceland’s youngest volcanic island, has been added to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage list following the World Heritage Committee held in Quebec City on July 7, 2008.

"Surtur comes from the South... the hot stars down from Heaven are whirled. Fierce grows the steam and the life-feeding flame, until fire leaps high about Heaven itself."
- From the Icelandic poem Völuspá, ca. 950 A.D.

Surtsey is not only one of the world's newest islands, but the most filmed and researched and one of the most restricted. Ever since the eruption in 1963 which heaved it up out of the waters 18km (11 miles) southwest of Heimaey, its progress has been monitored. This has been giving scientists a fascinating insight into how a new island evolves, how flora and fauna develop, and so on. Because of this very few people are now allowed to visit the island, and special permits are only granted for scientific research.

On the 14th of November, 1963 Icelandic seamen, that were fishing about 20 km southwest of Heimaey ( Vestmannaeyjar ) observed the beginnings of an undersea eruption that originated at a 130 meters depth. When the eruption first occurred, columns of ash were sent almost 9,146m (30,000 ft) into the sky and could be seen on clear days as far away as Reykjavík. An island eventually rose to a height of 169 meters above sea level that had an area of 2,5km².

This island was named Surtsey for Surtur, the fire possessing giant of Norse mythology who would set fire to the earth at the Last Judgment. Because of pounding seas, there was a considerable amount of early erosion, but the island core quickly solidified as rock and is now holding its own while scientists watch everything.

For three and a half years Surtsey rumbled and lava flowed. Long before the eruption stopped the island was proclaimed a nature preserve and all travel there was restricted to scientists that used this unique opportunity to study the gradual development of life on a sterile landmass. The first living found in the ash deposits close to shore. In May of the same year, a fly was found on the island. Seagulls visited the tidewaters furthest from the crater. The first vascular plant to flower along the shore was the sea rocket, observed in 1965. By 1987, twenty-five species of higher plants (including tomatoes!!) had been observed, transported there by seed in the sea currents, some from a nearby island, others from the southern Icelandic coast 40 kilometers off. Other species of plants have been carried there by the winds or birds from Europe.

Surtsey is a favorite resting place for migratory birds during seasonal flights to and from Iceland and Europe. They visit there yearly by the thousands. Seals also visit the island and relax on its beaches. Today five species of birds nest on Surtsey: the Herring Gull, the Black-Backed Gull, the Black Guillemot, The Kittiwake, and Fulmar which was the first species to nest there and hatch its young on the warm lava in 1970. BBC and David Attenborough have produced acclaimed television programs from this amazing little island.