NB Day 6: Approach to Honningsvåg

As we neared Magerøya, the island on which both Honningsvåg and Nordkapp (North Cape) are located, the sky had plenty of blue color and the sun was shining. It didn’t last long, but we made the most of it on the narrow balcony just forward of the Hornblikk Lounge on deck 9.

Magerøya is the island to which several Sámi families drive their reindeer herds each spring for summer grazing. By the way unlike in the USA, reindeer is the name used for both the wild herds as well as the domesticated animals.

These days, the animals are transported by ferry. Traditionally, however, they swam across the Magerøysund Strait, which is just over a mile wide. From what I understand, reindeer are strong swimmers and some of them still swim across.

We had no expectation of seeing any reindeer from the ship. But when I broke out my Nikon Coolpix 950 and zoomed it out fully to check out some white spots that resembled reindeer, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were. I was too far out to determine if the animals were leucistic or albino, but they were grazing amongst reindeer in their normal beige/brown color … the latter more difficult to spot with the naked eye.

Apparently the Sámi people consider white reindeer “… a sacred and magical symbol of purity, good fortune, and a deep connection to the spiritual world.” That there were so many of them in one place, therefore, wasn’t perhaps so unexpected.

It was surprisingly wind-free on the forward balcony, so we stayed out to enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasted … and beyond. In areas where there was rain close to shore, the sun rewarded us with rainbows. A lovely bonus.Read more