During the night National Geographic Explorer cruised smoothly northwards to new fjords. We got an early wake-up call at 06:45. Two killer whales had been spotted by the mouth of Valsfjorden, which is a fjord near the tip of the large Fosen Peninsula. Within a couple of minutes the front deck was filled with hopeful guests. There! In the water, just in front of a wind farm, two dorsal fins could be seen in the far distance. Numbers of cameras were clicking. We gradually moved closer, as our officers gently moved the ship in the right direction. A white-tailed eagle was also spotted as we were watching the whales.
After breakfast, I gave a talk on nature and nature management in Norway. As a native Norwegian, I emphasized that the outdoor life of Norwegians to a great extent is rooted in a tradition of harvesting: wild berries, mushrooms, fish and game. Just as the talk was over, another sudden message sounded: MS Norge, the special vessel that is only used by the Norwegian royal family, had been seen just ahead of our ship. Many guests went out on deck to get a glimpse of the exclusive boat. By lunch our ship was anchored by the mouth of Svesfjorden, a beautiful narrow fjord. After lunch many of us went ashore for a hike, whereas some went kayaking. This little fjord cannot be accessed by cars, thus providing an environment fairly untouched by the modern world. In the old days much of this area used to be actively farmed. Today some stone ruins bear witness of previous farmhouses by the head of the fjord. In addition there are a few cabins to be seen nearby. These cabins are used for leisure purposes only.
The hikers encountered no other locals than a few sheep, grazing peacefully in their meadow paradise. Today the meadows are framed by willow trees, rowans and pristine birch forests. Along the trail we found a few wildflowers and an abundance of ferns, lichens and mosses. The absence of disturbing sounds was arresting. Willow warblers and a single cuckoo sounded gently as we walked alongside a stream to a small waterfall with water running over a polished surface of Precambrian rock. As we lifted our gaze to the hills we could see how the ancient glaciers had scraped the landscape bare. On the smooth flanks only a few tiny trees were clinging to small fissures in a precarious soil.
The farmers have long since gone, but this little paradise has kept its beauty. What a soothing afternoon inside a hidden fjord in the middle of Norway!
