Verrafjorden, Norway
We have just crossed the Arctic Circle, and the days are getting shorter. By midnight the landscape outside was hidden in the dark, as the late guest hit their pillows. Dark green forest slopes under a veil of thin fog welcomed the early risers today, as the National Geographic Endeavour entered the narrow mouth of Verrafjord. This peaceful fjord lies at the same latitude as Trondheim, the capital of Tröndelag. The people in this part of Norway have a reputation of being quiet-tempered. They do, however, claim to be enthusiastic now and then – as long as they have time to think about it!
In this fjord, conifer forest mixed with birch, alder and rowan clothes the slopes. Patches of lush, green pasture lie scattered within the forest landscape (picture). The farming in this area is declining, as in the rest of the Norwegian countryside. The farming economy has a hard time competing with the rising wages created by the flow of oil and gas from the North Sea. Small-scale fishing and farming in particular are increasingly affected by the extraction of fossil fuels from under the seabed. One may wonder how many of the full-time farmers will still be around in the Norwegian countryside a decade or two from now.
The forest of spruce and pine surrounding Verrafjord is home to the moose, the capercaillie, the black grouse and the pine marten. The high rainfall favours lichens and a lush carpet of mosses – a true rain forest, quite different from what we have seen further north. This was the hikers’ destination this morning. As the fog lifted, the first hikers were welcomed by a small flock of sheep. We then climbed through a typical private forest with small stands of Norway spruce and Scots pine. Three quarters of the Norwegian forest area are privately owned, and most farmers manage some forest in addition to their fields. Typically, an average farmer’s forest is 120 acres, only part of his total income. Whereas timber is the most important product of the woods, the lease of hunting is of growing importance.
We climbed on, through virgin spruce forest. Thick carpets of green moss covered the forest floor, and an overgrown fallen tree triggered the impression of walking among the true tree trolls of Tröndelag. As we reached a picturesque lake we spotted scats of moose and red fox. The fox droppings were stained blue after a generous banquet of bilberries, which abound at this time of the year.
Some guests preferred the option of going kayaking along the inner parts of the fjord. The tide was low this morning, and some kayakers in the shallows could see colourful seaweeds and masses of molluscs. Most of the migrating birds have already left the area, but a single heron, one sandpiper and a few oystercatchers were still active along the shore.
In the afternoon our undersea specialist David Cothran shared the video of the wonderful world of marine life in the Arctic as well as the coast of mainland Norway, that he shot during our trip. What a diverse and colourful world, and what a beautiful addition to all we have seen on land!
We have just crossed the Arctic Circle, and the days are getting shorter. By midnight the landscape outside was hidden in the dark, as the late guest hit their pillows. Dark green forest slopes under a veil of thin fog welcomed the early risers today, as the National Geographic Endeavour entered the narrow mouth of Verrafjord. This peaceful fjord lies at the same latitude as Trondheim, the capital of Tröndelag. The people in this part of Norway have a reputation of being quiet-tempered. They do, however, claim to be enthusiastic now and then – as long as they have time to think about it!
In this fjord, conifer forest mixed with birch, alder and rowan clothes the slopes. Patches of lush, green pasture lie scattered within the forest landscape (picture). The farming in this area is declining, as in the rest of the Norwegian countryside. The farming economy has a hard time competing with the rising wages created by the flow of oil and gas from the North Sea. Small-scale fishing and farming in particular are increasingly affected by the extraction of fossil fuels from under the seabed. One may wonder how many of the full-time farmers will still be around in the Norwegian countryside a decade or two from now.
The forest of spruce and pine surrounding Verrafjord is home to the moose, the capercaillie, the black grouse and the pine marten. The high rainfall favours lichens and a lush carpet of mosses – a true rain forest, quite different from what we have seen further north. This was the hikers’ destination this morning. As the fog lifted, the first hikers were welcomed by a small flock of sheep. We then climbed through a typical private forest with small stands of Norway spruce and Scots pine. Three quarters of the Norwegian forest area are privately owned, and most farmers manage some forest in addition to their fields. Typically, an average farmer’s forest is 120 acres, only part of his total income. Whereas timber is the most important product of the woods, the lease of hunting is of growing importance.
We climbed on, through virgin spruce forest. Thick carpets of green moss covered the forest floor, and an overgrown fallen tree triggered the impression of walking among the true tree trolls of Tröndelag. As we reached a picturesque lake we spotted scats of moose and red fox. The fox droppings were stained blue after a generous banquet of bilberries, which abound at this time of the year.
Some guests preferred the option of going kayaking along the inner parts of the fjord. The tide was low this morning, and some kayakers in the shallows could see colourful seaweeds and masses of molluscs. Most of the migrating birds have already left the area, but a single heron, one sandpiper and a few oystercatchers were still active along the shore.
In the afternoon our undersea specialist David Cothran shared the video of the wonderful world of marine life in the Arctic as well as the coast of mainland Norway, that he shot during our trip. What a diverse and colourful world, and what a beautiful addition to all we have seen on land!
