Tuesday 23 October 2018

Hvítserkur, Iceland


Hvítserkur is a 15 m high basalt stack along the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula, in northwest Iceland.

The sea has eroded what was once a volcano, leaving only the stack behind. The base of the stack has been reinforced with concrete to protect its foundations from the erosion of the sea. The rock has two holes at the base, that makes it look like an animal of some sort or perhaps a dragon who is drinking.

Several species of birds, such as gulls and fulmars, live on at Hvítserkur. It is half-white from the guano deposited on the rock. That is how the rock got its name Hvítserkur (white shirt in Icelandic). Hvít meaning white and -serkur meaning a long shirt.

and its name ("white shirt" in Icelandic) comes from the color of the guano deposited on its rocks.


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