Brilliant sunshine greeted us as we approached the Lofoten Islands for our first landing this morning on Væorya Island. Calm seas and a light chill filled the air and added to the excitement of visiting these remote and stunning islands.
The tiny settlement of Mastad sat below towering mountains with high clouds wrapping around their peaks in the rising wind. The low tide meant the landing ashore would be difficult, so we loaded into the Zodiacs for a cruise. Our landing followed, once the water was deep enough to allow our Zodiacs ashore. The cruises searched for puffins in the air and water, and were excited to find a pod of orca whales scouring the shoreline in search of their next meal. The divers hit the water as well and found wonderful kelp forests with tiny nudibranchs climbing the stalks.
After a hearty lunch, our ship tied up alongside at the picturesque village of Reine. Steep mountains rose above this small fishing community filled with brightly painted houses, fishing boats and rack after rack of dried cod. A fresh breeze kept us cool and the dried fish smell away, as we explored the small shops and photographed every square inch of this lovely Nordic town.
Back on the ship we had an interesting recap from the expedition team, followed by a fantastic dinner of fresh Arctic char that had been purchased only hours before in Reine! The chef had cooked it to perfection and it was delectable.
After dinner our captain sailed National Geographic Explorer into the narrow and exquisite Trollfjord. It was incredible to see how close he was able to bring the ship to the steep walls of this narrow fjord. He came so close to the edge of the fjord that Cadet Emily was able to reach out and pick a leaf from a tree clinging to the side of the fjord. It was clear that the captain had complete control of the ship. It was an impressive feat.
Once we exited Trollfjord, we sailed a short way south and set our anchor in a perfect spot to soak in the late night alpenglow on the surrounding mountain. It was a beautiful and peaceful end to another wonderful day on the Norwegian coast.
