It’s indescribable, says drone pilot on filming Iceland volcano

"It's basically history being made and it's amazing."

Drone pilot Isak Finnbogason filmed the lava and smoke spewing from a fissure in the ground on the side of a mountain near Iceland’s capital Reykjavik on Wednesday.

The Reykjanes Peninsula is a volcanic and seismic hot spot, and the outbreak took place just 25 km (15 miles) from Reykjavik and 15 km from the nation’s international airport.

Finnbogason told Reuters on Friday that he felt a certain obligation to film the area because it’s now possible to document such events.

“When I go there and fly, I know before in history it hasn’t been done. It wasn’t possible to take anything so close to lava and fly and get these kind of shots,” Finnbogason said.

“So I also feel kind of like I have to do it.”

[Visitors flock to Iceland’s newest volcanic eruption]

In March last year, lava fountains erupted spectacularly in the area from a fissure 500 to 750 meters (1,640 to 2,460 feet) long, continuing until September and attracting thousands of Icelanders and tourists to the scene.

Finnbogason said that he has visited the volcano around 11 times since last year and plans to continue going back.

“We are super lucky to be alive right now when this is happening basically in our backyard,” he said.

“It’s basically history being made and it’s amazing.”

Production by Natasa Bansagi and Eleanor Whalley.