Second full day crossing Denmark Strait.
The sea was calm, the sky glorious, so we enjoyed a good morning session in the gym – without falling over too many times.
The mandatory AECO (the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators) tender boat briefing was about to do’s and don’ts of the arctic. Especially avoiding biohazards, like importing seeds, bacteria and insects into the environments in the arctic. We were also informed about Zodiac protocol and safety. Everybody must learn the ‘sailor’s grip’ and how to manage the lifejackets worn on the tenders.
Lynne later attended a lecture on Seabirds of the North Atlantic, while I anchored to a seat in the lounge near an electric socket for my laptop, figuring out getting this travel log set up.
The balmy (about 8C), sunny weather prompted a long sojourn on deck, followed by a stint in the whirlpool, with a breathtaking view over the sea.
An important job all passengers had to perform was to size our Muckboots – thick, insulated great boots, suitable to hose down after each landing to disinfect and wash off any biomaterial that might have stuck to the boots. This was fun – a gaggle of passengers, some of advanced age, struggling with removing shoes, putting thick socks on and off and fighting with boots, invariably too big or too small.
In the evenings we get information about the plans for the following day. As we are very much in the arctic wilderness, there is a plan A, but also, B, C, D, etc…. As Hurtigruten is Norwegian, the plans extend to Æ, Ø and Å!
