Diamond Beach on the south coast of Iceland owes its name to the chunks of ice that wash up on the black beach like glittering diamonds. Travel blogs speak of a majestic place, an absolute must-see when travelling through Iceland. In reality, however, there is much more to the place than just the beautiful sight.
The chunks of ice are one thing above all: a silent but clear sign of the ongoing climate change caused by human activity.
The chunks of ice that wash up on Diamond Beach come from the nearby Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. Countless icebergs drift on the lagoon, having broken off from the glacier located nearby. They reach the Atlantic Ocean via a river, where they are abraded by currents and waves and eventually washed up on the black sandy beach of Breiðamerkursandur – Diamond Beach.
The process has been repeated in Icelandic nature for centuries. However, the frequency and speed at which this glacier is melting today has increased significantly. In the last 100 years alone, the glacier has retreated by a full 2 kilometres. If this trend continues, there may be no more ice at either location – the lagoon and the beach – in just a few decades.
With this in mind, you might ask yourself why some travel bloggers say it is a place to escape the worries of everyday life.
Photo: Diamond Beach; Credits: Pixabay/IdaT
