Despite reports of challenging weather, we arrived in Lithuania this morning right on time. Before retiring to bed last night, it was unclear if we would be able to call into Klaipeda at all, as the winds were projected to be over 40 knots at the time of our arrival. Expedition Leader Jen was up at the early hour of 5 a.m. assessing wind conditions with the Captain. The winds appeared to be around 20 knots. However, they were increasing steadily, and by the time the Captain got the ship alongside the winds had already reached 45 knots. It was an extraordinary docking maneuver and we were very grateful to be able to continue with our schedule as planned (even if a bit windy!).
Upon arrival in Klaipeda we broke into three groups: those doing a cycling ride to the Curonian Spit (a narrow sandbar stretching from the Kaliningrad coast all the way across the Lithuanian coastline up to Klaipeda); those visiting the folkloric Hill of Witches; and those going out to the Cape Vente ornithological station. The ornithological station was a lovely excursion, where we were greeted by the station’s chief bird tagger and manager. He has banded 720,000 birds in his lifetime, making him 2nd in the world for who has banded the most birds (he is surpassed only by the station’s former manager, an elderly gentleman who is now 92 years old and who has banded over 900,000 birds in his lifetime). We were brought to the large nets where the birds are captured at night, and then each guest was handed a small bird that the station manager caught and banded the night before. Everyone had the chance to release their birds, sending them off so they could continue on their migratory routes. It was fascinating to learn of the many different types of migratory birds that pass through this region, and just how important an area the Curonian Spit is for so many different bird species.
The bikers also had a wonderful morning, braving extraordinary winds as they ferried across to the Curonian Spit and rode north through pine forest and other beautiful protected areas. They came back to the ship in high spirits!
Those who took part in the Hill of Witches excursion were able to see an area of great cultural significance. Hill of Witches displays a series of wood carvings and other sculptures that illustrate famous Lithuanian folklore. Guests had a great time learning about these stories and had the chance to later see Old Town Klaipeda, where cobbled stoned streets, amber shops, and small cafés dot the streets.
All guests returned to the ship in time for lunch, at which point we pushed off from blustery Klaipeda and started making our way north toward the Swedish island of Gotland.
