Inside the Vatnajökull National Park, where Iceland’s largest glacier is located, a “snake” lurks in the form of an ice cave. But this is a different snake.
The cave, which is the center of attention due to its long and winding shape, resembling the world’s largest snake, is nicknamed the Anaconda Ice Cave. It is also known as the Crystal Ice Cave because of its smooth, blue ice that looks like it has been carved.
The glacial caves get their unique blue color from the pressure created by the compression of the ice. This pushes out all the air inside, causing the ice to appear white instead of blue. Arctic Adventures, which organizes hikes and tours in Vatnajökull National Park, says this is the result of hundreds of years of snowflakes falling, compacting and recrystallizing into ice, while air bubbles trapped in the ice are pushed out.
When an ice floe is too dense to have air in it, the light goes deeper. The deeper the light goes, the more red-colored spectrum it loses along the way, causing the ice to appear blue to our eyes. That’s why the blue of the Icelandic glacier has a mesmerizing and otherworldly hue.
Blue can also intensify as the light shines on the ceilings of caves, making the ice appear to glow. The bubble-free blue sometimes meets gray, white, and black deposits of volcanic ash to create intricate and swirling color combinations that wind along the sides of the tunnels into the depths of the glacier.
The season here traditionally starts in November and ends in March. Because only during this period, the weather can be cold enough to keep the caves intact. Hot air can make caves dangerous as melting begins again with the arrival of summer.
Due to the temporary nature of Iceland’s glacial caves, its appearance is constantly changing, making each visit unique. It is also enjoyable for guides who return to the glacier at the end of the summer season to search for newly formed caves and tunnels.
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