Field tour 1 – Rosmhvalanes

Field tour 1 runs through the Rosmhvalanes (Walrus peninsula) area visiting the fishing town of Keflavik and the villages of Gardur and Sandgerdi. The harbor and a fishing factory in Sandgerdi can be visited to observe the catching and processing of some of the world’s most important – and most threatened – natural resources, marine fish. A visit can also be made to an old stone church (Hvalsnes) and to farms and ruins of ancient stone huts, east of Sandgerdi in which fishermen lived during the winter cod season.

There are interesting natural sides along the coast, some of which are protected: bird cliffs, sandy beaches with rich bird life and invertebrates, protected bird ponds in the Gardur and Sandgerdi areas, and the nesting sites of gulls and Arctic terns in Midnesheidi. Many important plant communities on Sudurnes can be studied, together with eroded land and land with restored vegetation.

A large part of the coastline and a number of ponds on Rosmhvalanes are listed as sites of special environment interest because of the beauty of the natural surroundings and the landscape. In Sandgerdi there is a newly established Nature center which offers good facilities for studying the flora and fauna of Sudurnes.

Click on the map for a larger image.