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Photographer Captures Ghostly Face in the Waves on Deadly Beach

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Matt Growcoot
A large, crashing wave sprays mist around two dark, jagged rock formations rising from the ocean under a cloudy sky.
‘Ghost of Reynisfjara’ by Vilhelm Gunnarsson.

Photographer Vilhelm Gunnarsson has been shooting the south coast of Iceland, showing a landscape that is battered by the relentless forces of the Atlantic Ocean.

The stark black-and-white photos were taken around the southern coast, including Reynisfjara Beach, where several people have been tragically swept out to sea and drowned.

“The ocean is close to my heart, as it is to many Icelanders,” Gunnarsson tells PetaPixel. “We live on an island in the middle of the North Atlantic, where the sea is our lifeline. Iceland has some of the richest fishing grounds in the world, and the ocean brings warm currents that make our country habitable.”

A black and white silhouette of three people standing on a rocky cliff edge watching a large ocean wave crash nearby.

A large, dark rock formation stands in the background as massive, crashing waves churn in the foreground.

A seagull flies through a natural rock archway above turbulent, crashing ocean waves in this black and white scene.

The aforementioned Reynisfjara Beach, where just last year a nine-year-old German girl died, is where the ocean feels most powerful, according to Gunnarsson.

“High cliffs, basalt columns, and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks create one of Iceland’s most iconic views,” he says.

“Yet this beauty comes with serious danger. Sneaker waves can surge far up the beach without warning and pull people out to sea. People have lost their lives there, and serious accidents have occurred when visitors have gone too close to the water or underestimated the power of the waves—even in good weather.”

Gunnarsson says that in one of the photos he took on Reynisfjara Beach, there is a face in the wave.

“That is why my image of the ghost is so important: it reminds people to be cautious, because you never know what lurks in the depths of the ocean,” he says.

A large wave crashes against a rocky coastline, sending a massive spray of white water high into the dark sky.

A lone bird flies over a dark, moody ocean coastline with waves breaking against a long, narrow beach.

Sunlight breaks through dark, heavy clouds, casting rays down onto a turbulent, choppy ocean in black and white.

A black-and-white landscape featuring dark, silhouetted cliffs rising above a beach, with a lighthouse visible on the summit.

Gunnarsson wanted to create a photo project documenting Iceland’s south coast to highlight the importance of the seas surrounding the Nordic island nation, where the Atlantic Ocean crashes against the shores of a country of just over 400,000 people.

“The coast is rocky and raw at its western end, contrasting with the black-sand beaches farther east. The photographs are intended to show the power of the ocean as the waves strike the land, as well as its beauty in every kind of weather,” Gunnarsson says.

“All the images were taken with Canon cameras, except for one captured by drone. I like being outside in bad weather, so photographing in strong winds with the sea spray blowing over you and your gear is nothing new to me. I try to protect the cameras by knowing when to turn around and protect the gear when the spray hits you.”

A large, translucent chunk of ice rests on a dark, wet beach as ocean waves wash over it, with two smaller icebergs in the distance.

A black and white view of a turbulent, choppy ocean with large rock formations rising from the water under a snowy sky.

A black and white view of a turbulent ocean with large, crashing waves under a bright, sunlit sky with dramatic clouds.

Large waves crash against a dark, jagged rocky coastline under a cloudy sky.

A group of people stands on a railed observation deck watching a large wave crash against the shore at sunset.

A large wave crashes against a dark, vertical basalt cliff on a black sand beach under a cloudy sky.

A black and white landscape of a stormy, turbulent ocean crashing against jagged dark rock formations and a rocky shoreline.

An aerial view shows white ocean waves crashing onto a dark, black sand beach.

Gunnarsson, a working press photographer in Iceland, has previously featured on PetaPixel for capturing tourists’ reactions to seeing a volcanic eruption for the first time, volcanic lava engulfing the famous Blue Lagoon, and unique geothermal landscape drone shots.

More of Gunnarsson’s work can be found on his website and Instagram.

Image creditsPhotographs by Vilhelm Gunnarsson

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