Nordfjord, Melfjord and the Arctic Circle
In the early morning we crossed the Arctic Circle as we headed into Melfjord. A deep cut in the north side of this fjord led us into a narrower arm known as Nordfjord. As we plied the calm waters deeper into the high mountains, we watched small groups of common gulls and black guillemots resting on the water. We passed several white-tailed sea eagles, and even a couple of reindeer on the shores of this uninhabited fjord. As we neared the far end of the fjord, dramatic snow-draped mountains rose thousands of feet to either side of the ship. The captain eased our ship in to the end of the fjord until we were nearly nosing against the shoreline. We were now within one of coastal Norway’s wildest areas, Svartisen National Park.
After a leisurely breakfast we ventured out to enjoy the stunning scenery. Some chose to wander along the shoreline meadows searching for wildflowers, others ventured farther inland without any hint of a trail, and there were also outings by Zodiac or kayak around the edges of the fjord. The dark rock walls of the fjord were decorated with long white strands of waterfalls. Arctic terns called from overhead as if delightedly announcing their return home from Antarctica. Like these migrant terns, National Geographic Explorer had also now returned back northward to the Arctic from the distant southern continent of Antarctica. The clouds that clung to the mountain heights occasionally parted, delivering us brief sunshine painting the flanks of the fjord, then closing again and dripping rain upon our heads and stippling the calm waters of this pristine fjord.
During the afternoon we retraced our path back out of Nordfjord and into Melfjord where we paused to view a towering waterfall positioned right in front of the ship. As we exited from Melfjord, our path again weaved across the Arctic Circle as we traversed westward beneath blue skies to an offshore group of islands that reside close to the Arctic Circle. Here we docked at the island of Træna, and after dinner we wandered ashore to celebrate our arrival today at the Arctic Circle. There is a large metal globe near the ferry terminal in this quiet town and we gathered there for a cup of spiced wine, or Glüg, right as the local ferry arrived with truckloads of supplies. Nearby was a picturesque white church with a slate roof, and beside it a grassy hill overlooking the town. There were a few townspeople out strolling on this mild and sunny evening, pausing to chat with us. The evening light lingered as the sun angled across the distant horizon where it will dip out of sight briefly for the last time tonight. Our journey northward now takes us into the realm of the midnight sun.
