M/S Sjøveien shook and rumbled as the anchor plunged into the icy waters of Lilliehöökbreen. The shallow waters stirred a turquoise blue, reminiscent of a shallow Caribbean beach.
The glacier stood in the distance and watched humbly, as 12 tiny red ants boarded the small black craft,which then slowly navigated their way through the ice towards it,leaving a glistening trail between the ice like a snail finding its way through rocks.
The bay was quiet, almost too quiet. Occasionally, the glacier would spring to life and pop and bang like gunshots in an empty hall, then, silence once more. The feeling was serene, everyone was silent, the suns rays beating down on us, bouncing off the white ice around us. Even our sunglasses did little to protect our eyes from the intense rays. Everyone was definitely wearing one too many layers, gloves off, hat off! But the cameras stayed fastened to their hands like fast ice clinging to the shore in a stiff breeze.
As we draw closer to the ice cliff towering above us, faint patterns and colours become visible, highlighting the damage and weathering that this ice must have endured of the last 3000 years. The stories it must have to tell will have to wait for another time.
We meandered along the ice wall, we entered the brash ice, tiny broken pieces of glacier ice, it’s almost like it had been through a blender. The Zodiac stayed silent, the popping and cracking was more intense now, but it wasn’t coming from the glacier, it was coming from the seemingly frozen ocean around us. Like rice crispy’s in a cereal bowl, the air bubbles in the ice popping and crackling.
As the afternoon was drawing to a close, we were greeted by two friendly tooth walkers sunbathing in the glow of the afternoon haze, they looked calm, but there was something in their eye, a shine; they were hungry. It was then we realised we were too! Time to head back to the vessel for an evening feast and gaze at the watchful eye of the sun spinning around us.
Please note: Depending on the lens used for a photo or video shot an animal may appear to be closer than it is. We always follow strict wildlife guidelines to ensure that we do not cause any disturbance.
