This morning, we departed for an Icelandic shark museum ("Safn Museum") at around 10:55am and arrived approximately 20 minutes later. The museum curator immediately pointed out an old phone, which pretty closely resembled a wooden box with two silver metal bells, an attached earpiece, and a mouthpiece on a coiled wire. The curator laughed as he described how phone service was not provided in this region of Iceland until the early 1980s, making it one of the last places in the world to be "added to the grid." He then began explaining how many generations of his family have prepared the native Greenland shark species for consumption, stressing how every part of the animal is used in some way. For example, the shark's thick, insulating fat is converted into lamp oil for distribution all over the European mainland. Greenland sharks are never actually hunted or intentionally caught by anglers, but rather caught as bycatch by trawlers. By the time the trawlers haul their catch aboard, the Greenland shark is likely already dead. However, thanks to people like those we met today, these animals do not go to waste. Since antifreeze is used by the Greenland shark's circulatory and excretory systems (the shark circulates its own antifreeze-rich urine prior to expulsion) to protect the animal from the cold waters in which it resides, the meat must be fermented for three to four months before human consumption. The Greenland shark lives exclusively in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic, usually over three kilometers deep, and can weigh up to 2,500 pounds. Greenland sharks are not picky eaters, evidenced by the partially-digested seal pelt, polar bear leg, and porpoise skull that were on display at the museum. However, due to their deep, cold habitat, this species has never attacked a human being. There is no controversy about the sale of Greenland shark meet, since the fish is exclusively caught as bycatch. After providing a brief history lesson about "shark-hunting" in the North Atlantic, the curator encouraged us to sample some protein-rich Greenland shark meat. I obliged, first trying the meat with a piece of rye bread (to help diffuse the intense salty flavor), then eating a chunk of the cured shark meat by itself. The meat was tough and rubbery, and salty enough to burn the back of my throat and nose. The taste of shark meat lingered for a while, as I explored the rest of the exhibit. The museum had many other local bird, fish, seal, and mammal species on display, as well as live chickens, ducks, sheep, lambs, and dogs. I fed the chicken and ducks some old bread, then checked out the drying shed, where the curator/pastoralists hang shark meat while the harmful constituents are neutralized. The market price for Greenland shark meat is around 10,000 krona per kilogram. Shark meat is certainly a niche market, since the supply is provided by unpredictable bycatch. Before we left this site, the curator's elderly father shared an Icelandic folk tale with us (with the help of our bus driver, Thor, who translated from the Icelandic) about Iceland's "hidden people." These elves are common characters in Icelandic folk lore, and have been known to reek havoc when humans come close to disturbing their habitat... I certainly learned a great deal about the sustainable use of the Greenland shark species, as well as local folklore and animal husbandry, at the only shark-fermenting facility in the world. After departing from the museum/pasture at around 1:00pm, we ate a lunch of pizza topped with mussels, olives, jalapeños, and sundried tomatoes. We then returned to the hostel and prepared for an afternoon hike. We set out on this hike at around 5:15pm, and began the long, strenuous trek to the top of Egilsskard fjord. It took us nearly three hours to reach the summit. Although there were taller peaks in the vicinity, the view from the top and the sense of accomplishment after having climbed up the nearly-vertical rocky cliffs made the trip well worth it. I'm very thankful for the thick moss which coated most of the fjord, as it gave me plenty of places to grab hold to during the climb. Aside from the many basaltic rocks seen along the way, I noticed some small, pretty purple flowers on the high slopes of the fjord. There were also many patches of snow left over from winter, which fed the creeks and streams below. At the summit, we noticed rocks with a zeolitic mineral coating. The view from the top of this fjord was absolutely incredible in all directions, with glacier-covered mountains and steep, basaltic saddles on one side and the village of Grundarfjordur and the North Atlantic on the other. This scene was far too beautiful to describe, and probably the most incredible thing I've seen in my entire life. Because of the late sunsets in Iceland, we had plenty of daylight to enjoy the hike back down to our hostel. The return trip was expedited by my decision to slide down the snow patches. Once we arrived at the base of the fjords, we followed the main stream across the pastureland and eventually back to our hostel. That night, we celebrated our accomplishment with home-cooked bean chilly with salad and rye bread. I certainly slept well after such a strenuous hike, but I know that the memory of the view from the top of Egilsskard fjord will be with me for a lifetime.
-B
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