The sun sets in Tromsø at around six, so it was dark by the time we made it to the bus where our Northern Light Chase was to begin at seven. Watching people shuffle and shove their way to get on a bus was interesting, especially dressed in doonas and loaded with backpacks and we all seem to be on the larger side, even the kids, although it may have been their giant onesies.
Our guide was a professional photographer. We would be travelling at least an hour or two away from Tromsø to avoid light pollution. The idea was to travel east where it is colder and dryer and thus less cloud cover. This would give us the best chance of seeing the lights. He was very informative explaining how to use our phones and cameras, how the Northern Lights are formed and what we will see when and if we see the Lights. He warned it would be mostly white, not the colours the camera lens sees. He also explained that the activity was occurring around 300km above the earth so the only reason for moving would be if the cloud cover intensified. All very interesting.
Again, we were lucky and got to experience the magic of the Aurora Borealis, however it was a very, very long night. We arrived at the ‘dark’ location around nine thirty and stayed until one thirty. We are old. It was taxing. We were back at the hotel well after two in the morning and we were tired. The following day was missed. We breakfasted, then slept until we needed to have dinner then slept until we needed breakfast again. So much for that day!!
Our last excursion was the Arctic Fjord Cruise which was a day trip on the Brim Explorer a 150-seat passenger cruiser. It was a spectacular day with blue skies and not a breath of wind. Yes, it was a bit chilly around -3 but we could take refuge inside when we wanted to. The scenery was just glorious.
I haven’t experienced a safety briefing quite like that one. With the water temperature at two degrees, it was very important to learn how to get into the survival suits and safety vests. I put my ADD in a box and paid attention.
Our hosts were Frieda and Fred who told us about the history of the area and took us to a working fishing facility and explained the importance of the cod industry. We visited the site where the giant WW2 German battleship, Tirpitz, was bombed and sank with around 1000 lives lost mainly due to hypothermia. Apparently, there were no Vikings in this area. They were people more from the South in Norway and Denmark. This area is dominated by the Sami culture. We learned that a Greenland shark lives from 250 up to 500 years, reaching maturity at 150 and having a gestation period of between 8 and 18 years!!!!! We saw sea ice and I know I saw puffins. I was very excited, but my photo was pretty miserable.
Tromsø has been an incredible experience. Five nights was never going to be enough, but it gave us a taste of how amazing Northern Norway is. So pleased we made the effort.