What a bonus! What a feather in our caps! Today we will land on one of the most remote islands, which also happens to be the northernmost island on the North Atlantic Ridge.
The ship spent the night at anchor off the landing beach on Jan Mayen Island, which probably meant that most of us were able to get a peaceful night’s rest.
Once up and around we were greeted with gray skies and very blustery sea conditions, but these would not thwart our plans to go ashore for various walks and a chance to visit the base on the island run by seven Norwegians.
With all our foul weather gear and cameras well protected we head over in the trusty Zodiacs for the landing on a black sandy beach, comprised of volcanic materials. The gray skies show up the rich vegetation that covers the steep slopes of the southwestern part of the island. They look resplendent in all their finery. The coastline is made up of various basalts, close to the waters we can discern columnar basalt and then further up a jumbled mass of dark rock, at times looking tortured. As we approach the landing in very stiff winds we are greeted with a very enthusiastic, “Welcome to Jan Mayen!” We then link up with the staff who will lead the various walks. Along the way we have opportunities to learn more about the geology of this place and pause along the way to enjoy the plants, many in full bloom. The stay ashore ends with a visit to the little museum, post office, and shop, where we are able to purchase some T-shirts.
Today we are treated to a special lunch, hamburgers and chips, to commemorate the Independence Day of the United States, and the dining room is decked out with decorations and flags.
Throughout the morning Beerenberg Volcano, standing at 2,277 meters, had given us fleeting views of its summit, but now as we head along the coast en route to our next destination, East Greenland, we are able to get wonderful views of this impressive volcano now completely out in the open.
Along the way we pass an old crater, half opened into the sea. It appears a little hazy as the strong winds have whipped up volcanic dust into the air. All along the way we are accompanied by thousands of fulmars and other seabirds. Jan Mayen is an important breeding place for these birds and, with the help of binoculars, we are able to see thousands of these birds nesting on the steep sides.
By now we are rounding the southeastern shoreline and catch sight of glaciers and waterfalls tumbling down the steep slopes of the volcano. We see moraines, arêtes, and volcanic ash encrusted into the ice. We drink all these marvels as we slowly make our way out into open waters with strong gusting winds and sizeable swells.
After dinner we meet in the lounge to play a game that has been called, “How well do you know your naturalist?” It proves to be a very enjoyable and highly entertaining evening.
Before heading down to get some sleep, some of us head out to the aft deck and take in the last views of Beerenburg Volcano, clearly visible in the distance. We turn in so thankful for this fantastic bonus to our adventure.
