By Elisabet, Emily, Matt, and Garrett
Since being in Lofoten, we have had many experiences, including a tour around Svolvær (our place of stay), a visit to Inga Såmi Siida, and a boat tour through Trollfjord! All the experiences have been very insightful, and Trollfjorden started as a nice relaxing break from our travels before quickly ending in disaster.
Emily & Elisabet: We were very excited to go on a second boat tour after having been on a fjords tour earlier in the trip while in Stavanger. While on the tour, we were also excited to use the tour as a way to catch up on our journaling while looking at the different sites. It also SNOWED, adding ambiance to our photos of the fjord. We also learned a lot about the havørn (white-tailed eagles). They prey on reindeer, which is crazy because reindeer are not small animals!
Elisabet: The first half of the boat ride was really nice, and besides the first few minutes, it was pretty calm. Emily and I had brought our notebooks with us to work on, and it was really lovely to be able to look out at the fjords while also doodling and writing about the adventures we’ve had. I also enjoyed learning and spotting sea eagles on the various islands we passed. The trip’s ending was a little rough because many of our friends sitting with us got seasick, but luckily, Emily ran down the aisle to save them.
Emily: On the way back from the boat tour, everyone got incredibly seasick due to the 1-2 meter high waves. One of our friends, Hailey, yelled my name because two others within our group were on the verge of being seasick, and she was trapped between them. I then had to quickly run down the aisle of the boat as the waves swayed the ship in order to grab a sick bag. Luckily, I made it back to our group just before anyone made a mess of our table. Overall, I loved the trip, but getting off and being met with fresh air after the eventful end was very much needed.
Matt & Garrett: We were thrilled to have this opportunity to visit Trollfjord. We are grateful to the donors to St. Olaf and the tour company for opening this experience early for us. We found that the ‘silent’ aspect of the tour made us feel more immersed in the landscape. By remaining quiet, we were able to appreciate the beauty of the mountains and the water better. Additionally, this paid dividends through us spotting several sea eagles along our route.
Garrett: I also reflected on how the choppy water as we returned to the port gave our class a small (but slightly nauseating for many) taste of what life on the ocean entails. This also gave me a greater appreciation for the people who fish in this region and the migrants who traveled by boat to America in rough conditions.
Matt: I thought Trollfjord was an awesome experience. It was really scenic and I enjoyed getting to see all the unique aspects of the landscape in Lofoten. Although there wasn’t a ton of wildlife, the scenery made up for it in a big way. I thought the fog added a nice touch to it, and I enjoyed getting to hang out and enjoy it with friends. I also brought my own camera, so there were a lot of really good photo opportunities that I got to take advantage of.
In the end, this was a great experience, and it’s definitely safe to say that we all had a great time. Although the boat ride could get a bit rough sometimes, the scenery made up for it big time.