Chasing The Icelandic Northern Lights

We went to Iceland in Jan 2014. This is a late post but one of our most memorable travelling experiences.

Our package included a northern lights boat tour. We were last to be picked up from our hotel so the boat was already packed by the time we got on. 

Grant and I stayed warm indoors at first. It was a basic ferry which reminded of us of our time cruising the Nile in Egypt. Except it had safety equipment and we were only on this boat for a few hours instead of days.

We pulled on puffy high visibility suits before going to the top deck. I was engulfed in mine but it had to be worn because it was minus 5 outside. We piled up on the roof with everyone else, holding cameras big and small, and the odd tripod.

That's when we realised that if you're serious about photographing northern lights, do not take a boat tour. The boat will never be still and you can't relocate quickly if there are no lights. 

For me who's only keen on seeing the lights, I didn't enjoy it. We were subjected to diesel fumes standing downwind from the exhaust pipe. It seemed like the ferry was just a way to sell booze while tourists see the northern lights. But the latter wasn't to be for us. 

There was almost 100% cloud cover. By some miracle, we saw a northern light in a window between the clouds for 10 seconds. It was vivid green and intensified before it disappeared as quickly as it came. Then there was nothing for the next hour and a half. 

The clouds remained and many retreated indoors to take advantage of the buy one get one free drink offer. I think they offered this to compensate for the lack of northern lights and being stuck out in the lake.

We got home around 12.30pm, exhausted but somewhat satisfied that we saw something however fleeting. 

The next night the sky was clear and we had a feeling the northern lights will show themselves. We booked a bus tour from our hotel. We recommend Rekajvec Excursions for their knowledgable guides and ours was funny too. Also if you don't see any northern lights, you can do another tour with them for free.

We were taken outside the city where there was no light pollution. We were back in Thingvellir National Park from the golden circle tour we took earlier in the day. 

I noticed random people standing in the fields waiting for northern lights. It was below freezing. At our first stop I wrapped our travel towel around my legs to block the windchill.

The moon was shining bright against the snow and ice. We faced towards the North Pole, waiting for the lights to appear. I could see a faint misty streak which wasn't a cloud but it didn't reveal to be a northern light.

After twenty minutes and no sightings, the bus driver turned on the engine and we were off to another location. We were taken to the viewing platform at the top of the lake Þingvellir. As soon as we got out of the bus, a man shouted: "We have northern lights! Look over there at the northern lights!" 

There was a huge scramble. Surely enough that misty streak I saw earlier was brighter and changing before our eyes. It moved towards us, spreading across the sky. I squealed with excitement. It's happening. Our instincts were right-tonight was THE night! 

The misty streak, now northern light, unfurled and unravelled it's tiny filaments. They drifted down towards the earth like "fingers". They were glistening and flashing pink and red. I ran towards the viewing platform in awe.

I was witnessing this celestial sky dance like I was on a psychedelic high.

The lights swirled and twisted, creating mini-rainbows. The lights intensified like they were pulsating. The stars were wallflowers to this party. 

People were whispering, almost as if not to scare the lights. Forty minutes later the lights turned back into mist and moved towards the Arctic like it was on its way home.

We got on the bus back to Reykjavik and everyone was checking out their photos. 

We didn't have a tripod so we were lucky to have captured some magical moments.