This huge bay of the Breiðafjörður, dotted with myriad islands, was home to hundreds of inhabitants in the 17C; they lived off fishing, seal-hunting and collecting birds' eggs. The privileged living conditions were nonetheless complicated by the difficult currents in the waters around the bay. The small island of Flatey, with its charming old houses and rich birdlife, has been used as the setting for several films, as well as for the novel Flateyjargáta by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson.