Northern (High) Lights

摘要

Early March in Iceland and I'm aboard a beautiful wooden ex-fishing boat, the Laki, braving the elements with a group of enthusiastic whale watchers. The brooding, glacier-capped Snasfellsjokull volcano - the inspiration for the Jules Verne classic, Journey to the Centre of the Earth - provides a majestic backdrop as we cruise the waters of Breidafjordur. A cry goesup from our skipper Gisli as he spots the towering fin of a male orca surfacing just off starboard. It makes perfect sense when Gisli tells us that the Icelandic name for orca is Hahyrningur, meaning "high horn".