Iceland: Alarm sounded over 'beautiful but deadly' black sand beach and sneaker waves

Iceland’s most famous black sand beach is a lure for international visitors, but a combination of geology and the raw power of the ocean make it a deadly attraction. 

The black sands and roaring waves of Reynisfjara beach are among the main attractions along the scenic south coast of Iceland. It’s known for its haunting beauty, but tourists have lost their lives to sneaker waves that carried them out to sea.

Now local authorities are working on a plan to make the area safer. 

Sneaker waves are a natural phenomenon which happens when several smaller waves combine their energy to create one bigger wave. It can happen because of ocean currents, or in the case of Reynisfjara, because of an underground cliff just offshore, which adds to the pulling effect of the wave. 

At Reynisfjara beach, sneaker waves come in much further than other waves, are incredibly powerful, and can quickly sweep an adult out to sea. 

People who get caught in a sneaker wave find escaping back to shore extremely difficult - and with a water temperature just a few degrees above freezing, hypothermia can set in quickly, leading to fatalities. 

Following last month’s most recent death at Reynisfjara, the fifth fatality in the past seven years, a heated discussion resumed over whether to close the beach or implement new safety measures.

“Reynisfjara has the whole package -- stunning basalt columns, beautiful lava formations, the black sands and lovely views of sea stacks, glaciers and bird cliffs,” said Perla Magnúsdóttir, a guide in Iceland that regularly takes tourists to its most famous littoral. 

“And if you’re lucky in the summer, you could even spot puffins flying over the area.”

Indeed, the site is wildly popular among tourists. According to data from Visit