This morning, the ship was abuzz with excitement – though tinged with sleepiness – following the spectacular display of the northern lights last night. In the gentle seas, we put our time to good use by looking out for the many birds that populate the skies off the Norwegian coast – predominantly northern fulmars but also the occasional gull.
National Geographic photographer Jay Dickman led the lineup of speakers for the day, giving us an overview of his methodology and aims when photographing. He was followed by special guest speaker Jamling Tenzing Norgay, who spoke emotionally about his father’s 1953 first ascent of Mt. Everest with Edmund Hillary and about his own personal connection to the mountain and the people living in the region.
After a delicious Mexican-inspired lunch, photo instructor Kim Nesbitt held an impromptu workshop on optimising cameras for aurora photography in case of further displays, before also giving a more formal talk on getting the most out of our smartphone cameras.
As the sun slowly dropped towards the horizon, the number of birds around the ship slowly increased. Fittingly, naturalist Eduardo Shaw anchored the roster of speakers and introduced us to some of the most iconic avian species of the North Atlantic region and Greenland.
Anticipation is now mounting for our arrival at Jan Mayen tomorrow – just to see the island is a special experience, and we hope for conditions calm enough to allow us to actually set foot on this remote island.
