Kolbeinsey

About

Kolbeinsey (Icelandic: [ˈkʰɔlˌpeinsˌeiː], also known as Kolbeinn's Isle, Seagull Rock, Mevenklint, Mevenklip, or Meeuw Steen) is a small Icelandic islet in the Greenland Sea located 105 kilometres (55 nautical miles) off the northern coast of Iceland, 74 km (40 nmi) north-northwest of the island of Grímsey. It is the northernmost point of Iceland and lies north of the Arctic Circle. The islet is named after Kolbeinn Sigmundarson, from Kolbeinsdalur in Skagafjörður, who according to Svarfdæla saga is said to have broken his ship there and died with his men. A basalt landform, devoid of vegetation, Kolbeinsey is subject to rapid wave erosion and is expected to disappear in the near future. Erosion rate data from 1994 suggested that this would happen around 2020; however in 2020 the continued existence of the island was confirmed, with two skerries still visible at low tide. As of April 2021, two small skerries remained visible at low tide.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.