A Redditor encountered some problematic behavior from tourists and shared a photo of the incident to the community at r/VisitingIceland.
"I guess they missed the no drones sign at the entrance to Landmannalaugar," wrote the original poster, alongside a photo.
The photo showed a drone flying beside a visitor sitting at a popular peak. This kind of behavior has sadly been seen before in Iceland.
The buzzing of a drone isn't just annoying for other visitors, but it's also a stressor for nearby wildlife. Human presence alone deters most wildlife from coming close to inhabited areas of managed parkland, which is why there are often strict rules on staying on paths. This effect erodes usable habitat for wildlife, limiting food, shelter, and mating opportunities. The noise of a drone further expands the area of disruption.
That said, drones used in a research context can allow for low-impact information gathering in remote areas. In one instance, German researchers are using them to monitor forest health. Even amateurs can pick up some elusive wildlife without disturbing them thanks to long-range cameras. One Missouri operator was able to capture a mountain lion hunting deer, for example.
Despite the potential for positive use cases, this one was decidedly frivolous. The Reddit community was equally annoyed by the use of drones in a national park in Iceland for a selfie.
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"The amount of main character syndrome I see with these drone operators is unreal," wrote one community member. "I rarely fly my drone, and only when no one else is around because I absolutely don't want to be that guy who ruins the serenity and imparts on anyone else's outdoor experience. Sadly I'm in the extreme minority."
"I'm just returning from a 14 day trip and I never saw people respecting these signs. Every time, without fail, I saw someone flying a drone in a restricted area," replied another. "I own several drones and enjoy flying them, I didn't even think of taking one to Iceland because I just knew they would be restricted most places."
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