After cruising near the Arctic pack ice for the last two days, National Geographic Explorer turned south, heading toward a small island in the Arctic Ocean called Jan Mayen. This particular island is all volcanic geologically and sits near the Mid-Atlantic ridge, a very active feature that runs mostly north and south through the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. At 450 kilometers east of Greenland, and 550 kilometers north of Iceland, it is very isolated in this Arctic environment. The main feature of the island is the 2,277 meter high Beerenberg Volcano, which dominates the landscape on a clear day.
Jan Mayen is rarely visited these days because of the isolation, and logistical problems trying to get there by sea, or air. There is a weather station run by the military of Norway, which also governs the small island. As we approach, we hope to get a look at Jan Mayen this evening as we cruise around from the north to the south side, but fog and low clouds often obscure most of it from view! Conditions permitting, we hope to do a landing tomorrow morning at the weather station for a tour, and get a number of different length hikes in before we leave for East Greenland.
Even though the day was spent at sea, there were several activities to keep us entertained, lectures, galley tours, a lively Recap and everybody’s favorite, tea time. As usual, the galley staff put together an amazing spread at 4 p.m. for guests to enjoy with their coffee or tea!
Finally as dinner was ending, we got our first look at Jan Mayen through the mist and the fog. Not the spectacular view we were hoping for, but as we navigate to the south side of the island things might possibly get better; let’s hope! Tomorrow is another day, and we’re crossing our fingers hoping the forecast we’ll be better!
