Late last night we pulled into Lonkanfjorden, experiencing our first taste of night as the sun disappeared behind the high mountains. Waking early, the Captain took a group of brave guests on an epic hike to the top most reaches of the mountain. Scaling the rocks with deft maneuvers, the hikers, epic and otherwise, were treated to a spectacular view of the salt waters below. Whereas other guests chose to take to Zodiacs to cruise the shores carved long ago by the reaching ice. Without hardly looking into the water, the amount of moon jellies were undeniable – thousands of ancient creatures pulsed along with the current in search of the tiny planktonic life upon which they feed. Even more spectacular was their predator, the largest jelly in the world – a lion’s mane. Swimming through the density, the lion’s mane scooped up all it could with tentacles reaching over ten meters. It was a morning of great views all around, on high and in the water just below the surface.
The afternoon brought us to Skrova, a small fishing village with a long history. Guests were greeted by the hospitality of the locals – serving up heaps of waffles with homemade jam and the famous brown cheese of Norwegian legend. Taking a stroll into history, we toured the local tunnel that opened up the town’s industry, as well as the nearby shops, pubs and historic photography lining the harbor. Meanwhile, our dive team set out for some underwater exploration. Finding a great number of small fish, what stood out the most were the large cod zipping through the labyrinth of kelp. These fish connect directly to Norway’s cultural history, having an undeniable influence on the country’s progression. As always, there were also a myriad of colorful invertebrates to be found, giving us ever more reason to explore what is down below.
