The morning arrived with great anticipation, everyone had heard about the puffins that nest on the island of Vigor, and we were all anxious to see and to photograph the little birds. Landing on Vigor we soon found out there was much more to this island of one family residence. It is a small farm that has been in the same family for six generations, farming eider ducks, hunting puffins, and fishing the rich waters that surround the island has been the lifestyle of this family since anyone can remember. Today, hosting the few travelers who come to see the puffins and other seabirds that call Vigor there home adds a new dimension to life on Vigor, at least during the summer.
Upon landing we were greeted by one of the family members who acted as our tour guide and storyteller. Our first stop was Puffin Rock, an outcropping of rock that is favored by the birds that give it its name. Puffins fly in and seem to peruse the area before making the final entrance to their burrows. Mouths filled with small capelin and sand-ells advertise the menu for the young puffins still in the nest. Eventually, the birds satisfied with the way things on the island look, they fly the rest of the distance to their waiting offspring, anxiously awaiting “take out” at home.
After the puffins, we walked along a trail that makes its way through the colony of arctic terns. We are given flags on the end of sticks to hold above our heads so that the parent terns have a target to hit while defending their chicks from curious band of wanderers. Most of the chicks have fledged already, but that does not deter the adults from letting us know who has rights to this meadow of grass. The chicks have fledged, but still are begging for food from the adults, and this gives us a wonderful opportunity to view these masters of migration take their first flights.
After our time in nature, it is time for a little of the farm comforts in the form of homemade cakes and tea. Even here on this remote island, life has its creature comforts.
Back aboard National Geographic Explorer we sit down to a fine lunch and with precise timing, just as we finish our lunch, a call on the PA system lets us know that humpback whales have been spotted ahead. We enjoyed a magnificent view of multiple whales feeding alongside our ship as they surface, dive, and surface again. Our time on board has been a short few days, but our experiences have filled our lives with memories that we shall not forget.
