I didn’t expect to see the Northern Lights on this cruise. We were treated to several nights of the dancing lights. It looks quite different to the naked eye, more grey and white than green, but somehow it turns out differently with the camera. The drill so far has been go to bed early and then get woke up at 2am, put on all your Expedition gear and parka and head outside for the spectacle. Last night we turned off the speaker – we needed some sleep!
The island has a very interesting story as a volcano in 1973 totally changed the land mass. The residents woke up in the middle of the night to a wall of lava flowing toward their homes. The entire island was evacuated for 6 months and many returned to homes buried under 30 feet of lava. They have a lovely museum where a home is excavated and you get a feeling for the event.
When the young puffins take their fledgling flights they sometimes get confused by the lights and land on the island. Young children gather the juvenile birds and release them to get a start in the right direction.
So far the whale quest has 3 species to count. We saw several Fin, a Sperm and 2 Blue Whales. The Blue are endangered so it was quite a find and they are huge. Talking with the naturalist it seems my dreams of a Narwahl might be just a dream. I may need to take a cruise to the Canadian Arctic to find my Narwahl – the quest continues!
WanderlustandWhimSea 