The Eggs of Merry Bay

Almost three dozen large, granite eggs line the road along the bay in Djúpivogur, Iceland, each perched atop its own slab of concrete. The Eggs of Merry Bay (Eggin í Gleðivík in Icelandic) are a tribute to the native birds of eastern Iceland.

In 2009, Icelandic artist Sigurður Guðmundsson created the 34 enormous eggs in honor of the 34 species of bird that nest within the area. Each stone specimen accurately depicts the shape, patterns, and colors of the individual bird egg it represents. The eggs, though differing slightly in appearance, are all close to the same size. Except, that is, for one. The sculpture honoring the red-throated diver, the official bird of Djúpivogur, is larger than the rest.

The eggs are all accompanied by a sign giving the bird’s name (both genus and species) in Latin and its common name in Icelandic, making this beautiful piece of art a fun science lesson and linguistics exercise.