Kongsfjord minke whale

The sail from Kongsfjord to Berlevag was slow, but the calm days are the best for seeing wildlife. Yesterday was the turn of porpoises and this minke whale (in the video below) to make the occasional toughness of the day to day seem trivial.

The marine mammals are a treat. But the birds are more regularly visible companions and every bit as delighting. There are the eider ducks of course. I'd never seen these, and they must be one of natures most beautiful creations.

On a windier day a pair of fulmar came to check on progress. Puffins abound, guillimots - common and black - too. Arctic terns identifiable by their long forked tail feathers. Razorbills, cormorants, sea eagles. Kittiwakes on every available cliff or window ledge. Snow buntings when I set up camp under my sail.

And many more I don't recognise.

Today is another windy snowy day. It's the sort of day that in normal temperatures I might have an internal battle about whether to sail, and eventually take it on. But there is a difference between could and should, and with driving snow, a bitter windchill, northerly swell and likely major overfalls coming out of the next fjord (itself a significant crossing), I'm happy to categorise today as a shouldn't.

Thanks for the weather updates and support in general folks. In particular thanks to John Clark (Q) for good advice about likely weather. He correctly advised on the blizzard going on outside right now and said to get somewhere warm. Good advice John!