As a nature photographer and wilderness guide for Geo Travel Iceland, Anton Freyr Birgisson has had plenty of encounters with the animals who call the island nation home. But few have been quite as memorable as this one.
Recently, Birgisson tracked a large
herd of wild reindeer through a remote part of northern Iceland, hoping to photograph them from afar. There were about 400 reindeer in all, and Birgisson was careful to keep his distance.
Then, without warning, the entire herd began moving in his direction.
“They were suddenly spooked by something and came running toward me,” Birgisson told The Dodo. “I didn’t want to spook them, so I hid behind a rock.”
Though Birgisson had seen reindeer up close from a car and snowmobile, he had never experienced anything like this on foot.
“It was incredible. A privilege,” Birgission said. “One of the calves came and smelled me. But I felt they were aware of me, but perhaps not fully, as I was completely still. They were incredibly calm and majestic.”
Birgission called it his “top wilderness moment” of the year.
After about 20 minutes of calmly grazing close to Birgission, the herd continued on their way — leaving behind an unforgettable memory.
“North Iceland is a place where real wilderness exists, and I love experiencing it with guests from all over the world,” Birgission said.
