Surtsey: building history from bare rock
On November 14, 1963, the world received a rare living experiment — Surtsey. It took its name by analogy with its "father." By its twenty‑fifth birthday, because of its exceptional origin, it was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. It became the youngest site on that list. The story of Surtsey is not about the past. It is about how life is colonizing new land right now.