Bunkefjorden, Senja Island, Norway
Our first morning in mainland Norway would be one of exploration. After leaving Bjornoya and travelling south we were required to take on Norwegian pilots as National Geographic Explorer would now be sailing amongst the fjords of Norway.
We spent the morning witnessing the stunning difference between Norway and Svalbard. Where there were no trees, now there were vast expanses of spruce and birch. Where there were ice caps and grand glaciers now there were a few patches of snow high in the mountains. We had travelled from a part of the Arctic still gripped by the ice age to a more temperate part of Europe that shrugged off its icy coil thousands of years ago.
This afternoon we found a small bay, Bunkefjorden, to anchor in. We landed on a rocky sandy beach and found a local trail along a stream that led us to a few small glacially carved lakes. Their names were Litje Bunkevatnet lake, Heiavatnet, and Storbunkevatnet. The change in foliage was amazing. As was the presence of sphagnum moss and boggy areas that attempted to take our boots as the price of admission to the wonderful greenery that is Norway. There were pretty flowers including the dwarf dogwood, bluebell, cinquefoil, buttercup, and others. All this was a reminder that Northern Europe has many colorful moods.
Tomorrow it is off to the Lofoten Peninsula for more oceanic adventures.
