Arctic Traverse: Ísafjörður, Valagil, and Súðavik

On September 18th, 2022, the Endurance approached the northwestern tip of Iceland, known as the Westfjords, and the bay  Ísafjarðardjúp. (Click on the images to enlarge.)

Joan and I awoke to the sunrise.

Humpback whales favor this area, and as the Endurance slipped into the bay, we all scanned for whale spouts.

There they blow!

Often we saw pairs, mom and calf.

The pectoral fins can be close to the surface as the cetaceans cruise and feed.

The patterns on the underside of the tail are unique fingerprints used to identify individual whales.

After our whale-watching time expired, an Icelandic pilot came aboard the Endurance to guide us into the harbor at Ísafjörður.

Centimeter by centimeter, we edged up to the dock.

Lindblad offered four options for today's activity: 1) a bus tour of the terrain and exploring the town of Flateyri, 2) a hike in the Valagil canyon, with a destination waterfall, plus the village of Súðavik, 3) a walking tour of Ísafjörður, or 4) a bicycle tour on a road that climbs 359 meters (1,177 feet) and is closed to vehicles because of avalanches and rock slides. Joan and I had covered some of these Westfjords during our 2019 land-based tour of Iceland, documented in this blog here and also here, so it was easy for us to choose option #2.

 

First, we were bussed to the Valagil Canyon and waterfall. Enough of us signed up for option #2 that we needed two buses.

Waterproof footwear was handy as we negotiated the deep canyon route.

Further on, the waterfall began to appear.

Approaching the lower cascade of this multi-stage waterfall.

Looking up, with others on ahead.

The rushing water made a steady roar. When Joan and I climbed higher, we could look down on those who chose not to tackle the sketchy slope.

A brief clip of the noise this cascade made ...

After our return hike, our bus took the group to the village of Súðavik,

where we visited the Arctic Fox Center. Two foxes were living there, either permanently or for rehab. (Two is the most the center can take.) You can bet they were photogenic.

A closer look at the blue, or darker, morph, which is usually found in coastal areas.

The other fox, a white morph, was beginning to shift from its summer coat to the white winter coat. White foxes are generally found inland.

The museum itself offers exhibits and videos about the Arctic fox, its physiology, history, and past persecution. Lindblad had also arranged for hot drinks and snacks for our group!

Then, it was time to return to the ship. The kitchen offered a special Filipino buffet for dinner, and then the staff and crew staged a fabulous show for us.

What a variety they presented: songs, traditional dances, drag queens. Half the attendees got up and danced when the band gave a rousing rendition of the Eagles' "Hotel California." It made for a late night as we sailed on towards the island of Flatey.

Iceland: To Ísafjörður

At home in this time of the coronavirus, it's a good time for me to continue with the blog entries for Iceland.

On July 26th, 2019, our NatHab group flew from Reykjavik to Ísafjörður. That's the easiest way to reach this remote capital of the Westfjords region of Iceland, population 2800 in summer, not counting cruise ships. On arrival we deposited our luggage at the hotel

and met our local guide, a Finnish lad studying at the university here. His name was pronounced "Yoonus" -- I have no idea how to properly spell it.

Then we set out for our excursion boat. Across from the hotel were a vintage Model A (1930) and bakery truck, with Iceland license plates 1 and 2, respectively.

In the central area of town an Australian artist had painted a series of murals on house walls.

Soon we reached our excursion vessel.

We departed from Ísafjörður, crossing over the main fjord to the Jökulfirðir, a major offshoot. This area is just a stone's throw from the Arctic Circle. The green area is the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve.

At first we cruised the fjord and scanned for wildlife. The rarest sighting of the cruise was two arctic fox kits prowling the shoreline. I was glad I brought my binoculars; as you can see from this picture of one of the kits, we dared not approach too closely.

Photo taken from a long way away.

We also saw harbor seals.

A braided waterfall.

We sailed past a guano-coated rock buttress intruding into the fjord.

We could spot fledglings on the rock, especially with our binos.

Then our boat zoomed over to Hesteyri, a village of around 100 that was abandoned in 1952; life without roads or electricity had become too daunting. Many of the old houses are now summer getaways, and the Doctor's House serves snacks and refreshments, of which we partook. Here's a photo of the  house from one side.

From there our group began a hike down towards an abandoned Norwegian whaling station.

For the hardy there are overland trails to explore.

Our group stretched out as individuals paused to admire flowers, bees, and berries.

Orchid!

Approaching the abandoned station. When the Norwegian whalers pulled out in 1915 it was converted to herring processing, but the herring disappeared after 1940 and the village economy evaporated.

We were told the hole in the chimney was the result of NATO aircraft at target practice.

Without a dock, we returned to the excursion boat via inflatable.

On our way back to Ísafjörður we passed a Coast Guard rescue exercise, where the helicopter was practicing locating and then delivering immersed people to the Landhelgisgæslan.

Shot taken through plastic protecting us from sea spray.

After dinner at the hotel Joan and I took a stroll. Fortunately, it was summer, so this warning sign didn't worry us.

A small traveling circus had set up on the outskirts. RVs and campers plastered with stickers from all over Europe were parked nearby.

An Arctic evening-sun skimmed the horizon and peeked from behind the mountains.

Among the various buildings historic, industrial, and administrative was a trilingual memorial to those lost in the sinking of convoy Q13 off Iceland in 1942.

Below the text was an image of the disaster.

Soon it was time to return to the hotel, our room, and a few hours of sleep.