Sandfjorden, Norway
This voyage is only one day old and already we’re getting swamped with wildlife. The cavalcade of critters started last night as we sailed north from our embarkation city of Tromso. The seas were calm and a surprisingly warm breeze blew as we passed the wild and dramatic cliffs of Fugloya. A quick conference between our Captain and Expedition Leader reached the only sensible conclusion: late-night Zodiac cruise. So, only 4 hours after reaching the ship, we found ourselves on a tranquil sea with thousands of puffins, guillemots, and razorbill auks whizzing past our heads on their way to the towering island in front of us. However, this spectacular start turned out to be nothing more than an opening act for today’s sightings. In the afternoon we anchored in Sandfjord, on the north coast of Norway. The cushiony tundra here made hiking a pleasure as we spread out over the valley. Many of us were lucky enough to be approached by a small herd of curious reindeer (pictured), as we knelt or lay on the ground to keep a low, non-threatening profile. With at least 32 animals in the herd, it was a lovely introduction to the mammals of Norway. Further enchantment was to be had on our sandy landing beach, where a red fox was checking out our belongings with the confidence of a tax collector. And, as if all this and a walk in the sun was not enough, a group of 16 beluga whales swam into the fiord and spent several hours feeding in the shallows while we watched in drop-jawed amazement from the nearby Zodiacs. In the bright blue waters of the bay, these bright white whales almost looked like writhing ice floes. Perhaps this is just a sign of things to come in the days ahead as we sail north to Svalbard.
This voyage is only one day old and already we’re getting swamped with wildlife. The cavalcade of critters started last night as we sailed north from our embarkation city of Tromso. The seas were calm and a surprisingly warm breeze blew as we passed the wild and dramatic cliffs of Fugloya. A quick conference between our Captain and Expedition Leader reached the only sensible conclusion: late-night Zodiac cruise. So, only 4 hours after reaching the ship, we found ourselves on a tranquil sea with thousands of puffins, guillemots, and razorbill auks whizzing past our heads on their way to the towering island in front of us. However, this spectacular start turned out to be nothing more than an opening act for today’s sightings. In the afternoon we anchored in Sandfjord, on the north coast of Norway. The cushiony tundra here made hiking a pleasure as we spread out over the valley. Many of us were lucky enough to be approached by a small herd of curious reindeer (pictured), as we knelt or lay on the ground to keep a low, non-threatening profile. With at least 32 animals in the herd, it was a lovely introduction to the mammals of Norway. Further enchantment was to be had on our sandy landing beach, where a red fox was checking out our belongings with the confidence of a tax collector. And, as if all this and a walk in the sun was not enough, a group of 16 beluga whales swam into the fiord and spent several hours feeding in the shallows while we watched in drop-jawed amazement from the nearby Zodiacs. In the bright blue waters of the bay, these bright white whales almost looked like writhing ice floes. Perhaps this is just a sign of things to come in the days ahead as we sail north to Svalbard.
