We journey along the winding fjord road to our first stop – Hvítanes, a small outcrop that faces onto the fjord. A large colony of harbor seals lives here, taking advantage of the rich feeding grounds in the calm, sheltered waters of the fjord. The seals lounge and play on the rocks below, and your viewpoint offers an excellent opportunity to watch these charming animals up close. Looking north beyond the colony, you can spot Vigur Island, renowned for its eider ducks, whose prized eider down is carefully collected each year. Eider down is considered one of the finest and rarest natural downs in the world.

On your way out of Ísafjörður, you may have noticed the avalanche defense barriers high on the hills above the roads and homes. The Westfjords endure some of Iceland’s harshest winter weather, with heavy snowfall, fierce storms, and frequent avalanche risk. In 1995, tragedy struck when deadly avalanches hit the small towns of Flateyri and Súðavík, claiming 20 and 14 lives respectively. Today, a simple cross marks the site in Súðavík. We visit a memorial honoring the victims, the town’s recovery, and watch excerpts from the 2024 documentary When the Mountain Roars.

On your return journey to Ísafjörður and your ship, we pause for a photo stop overlooking sweeping panoramas of towering mountains and shimmering fjords. On a clear day, you may glimpse Hornstrandir to the north — a remote 600 km² wilderness, home to Arctic foxes and reachable only by boat. It’s a final chance to truly absorb the breathtaking beauty of this remarkable landscape — and reflect on the resilient people who once made their lives here.