Park ranger service at Reynisfjara Black Beach not on the table

Ideas about introducing a park ranger service at Reynisfjara have not been brought to the attention of the Environment Agency of Iceland.

Article on Iceland Monitor

Red warning light to activate sooner at Reynisfjara Black Beach

“It has not been discussed here, nor have we been asked about it so far,” says Sigrún Ágústsdóttir, the agency’s director.

Following the fatal accident at Reynisfjara last Saturday, in which a nine-year-old German girl was swept out to sea, safety issues at the site have drawn considerable attention. Among the ideas raised is whether rangers should be present at Reynisfjara. Abroad, supervision at popular tourist destinations has produced good results.

Article on Iceland Monitor

The light was yellow: Last three accidents in the same spot

Ágústsdóttir points out that the Environment Agency, which falls under the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate, oversees ranger services at protected areas — but Reynisfjara is not a protected site. One of the main exceptions to this rule is on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where volcanic eruptions have occurred. Rangers are active in the vicinity of Reynisfjara, including at Dyrhólaey and Skógafoss, but those two areas are protected.