Fjara

by Gunnar Birgisson

Gunnar presents another Icelandic word to help us understand the finest that nature has to offer in Iceland. He takes us to its shores.

Fjara is accurately translated as the intertidal zone of the shoreline. But there’s much more to a fjara than can be conveyed by such a sterile scientific description. The fjara is a place of wonder. 

But, before continuing, let me emphasize I’m not talking about the other, related meaning of the word. Fjara also means low tide, the opposite of high tide, flóð. And that word, flóð, also means flood. Yes, it‘s a bit confusing.

So let's make our way to the fjara. It's a place that appears at low tide, much as your lap is a place that appears when you sit down. It can be rocky or sandy, or in some places, mud flats. The receded ocean reveals what lives by the shore: seaweed, barnacles, mussels, and more. The complexity of the ecosystem can depend on how sheltered the coast is from the open sea and how much protection there is from the waves.

More than just a beach, the fjara isn’t a place for people to dominate. You can walk in the fjara, but not at a brisk workout pace. You don’t throw frisbees around. Instead, you amble along with humility, in quiet contemplation, appreciating the rhythms of nature, listening to the lapping of the waves that aren't reaching the land you are traversing.

You see shore birds like oystercatchers and dunlin searching for small mollusks, worms, and insects to eat. Gulls and arctic terns soar overhead, and eider sea ducks bob offshore. You may scramble around and over rocks and small cliffs, seeing what creatures might be found in tidal pools. And the footing is typically uneven, so you must be attentive to avoid slipping on seaweed or a rock covered in algae. 

As you walk in this zone that the sea has temporarily ceded, you’ll be aware of the intersection between the three great dimensions of the natural world: the sea, the land, the air, and the life that connects and clings to all of these.     

Of course, it’s not all beauty. You may also find trash, often remnants of fishing gear brought to the shore by the current and waves. Those who care the most will not only pick up trash but also bring a bag to collect more. What’s precious must be protected, even if it disappears at high tide.