Day 6: Barents Sea & Northern Lights
I sleep like a baby, rocked into a deep slumber by the rhythmic roll of the ship. Last night’s shower was an “interesting” experience, as I found myself being tossed from one side of the cubicle to the other. It wasn’t violent but it made me shower as quickly as I could and slow the water speed to ensure I didn’t flood the bathroom! With the reduction in daylight we’re really now starting to feel that we’ve entered a state of semi hibernation. We sleep through the 1:50 am stop at Øksfjord and the 5:05 am stop at Hammerfest. It’s another seven stop day today and as we depart from Hammerfest we have just reached another milestone.
Hammerfest is the “Gateway to the Barents Sea” a pivot point that sits on the edge of the shelf where the warmer Atlantic currents begin to mix with the cold Arctic waters of the Barents. Washing against the rugged northern reaches of Norway, these sub-Arctic waters serve as a dramatic backdrop for a string of resilient fishing villages that cling to the edge of the world. It is a region where the wild spirit of the North Atlantic meets the stillness of the polar night, offering us a promise of a landscape as unforgiving as it is breathtaking.
By 8:00 am, the world outside is still pitch black. Eschewing the formal breakfast, I make a run to the Havila Café for two enormous, gooey cinnamon buns and make couple of steaming mugs of tea when I return. There’s something special about enjoying a slow morning in bed while the ship glides quietly through the Artic dark. Breakfast concluded, we scramble into our layers—boots, hats, thermals, and jackets—to view the 8:30 am arrival at Havøysund. While the dock had been cleared, the village itself lays tucked under a thick, fluffy white blanket. A solitary passenger steps off into the dark, and by 8:45 am, the lines are cast off once more.
By 10:00 am, we’re back on deck to witness our passage through the Magerøya Strait (70º58’N). It’s blowing an absolute “hoolie.” The wind whips the waves into a frenzy, and we watch a lone fishing boat battling the elements; it seems almost stationary, fighting for every inch of progress against the unrelenting gale.
Without a watch, time would be absolutely meaningless. To our right, a soft pastel pink sky peaks behind towering, pristine peaks; to our left, merciless winds strip the snow from jagged summits. Not a single house breaks the skyline. This is a land where nature reigns supreme—untouched, immaculate, and breathtakingly silent, save for the roar of the wind and the soft hum of our ship.
The wind is unrelenting and at times as we navigate around the ship to take in the views we zig zag in addition to contending with the ship’s roll. Despite the severe chill the feeling of gliding silently on the water in the freezing cold while admiring the immaculate beauty of untouched nature, is simply breathtaking.
At a latitude of 70º58’N, passing through the strait is a symbolic “crossing the line” moment as we approach the northernmost tip of Europe. The landscape shifts into a realm of sheer cliffs and stark, treeless plateaus. This narrow channel serves as the final gateway to Honningsvåg, placing us deep within the Arctic’s embrace and within striking distance of the legendary North Cape. We return to our cabin once again in awe at what we’ve just witnessed. We’ve just entered the polar night. At this time of year, the sun never rises above the horizon. The light is low, muted, and dusky. Nestled in the Arctic reaches of Norway, Magerøya Island beckons travellers with its rugged cliffs, breathtaking vistas, and the glow of the midnight sun and northern lights. The sun doesn’t rise here from mid-November to late January.
Honningsvåg: The Edge of the World
At 10:55 am, we dock at Honningsvåg, a sign informing us that we’re a mere 1,311 miles from the North Pole.
The town is the gateway to the famous North Cape (Nordkapp), the spot where the Atlantic meets the Arctic Ocean— a 307 metre cliff edge where only the Svalbard archipelago stands between you and the North Pole. We’ve opted out of the excursion, doubting how much we’d see in the depths of the Polar Winter. As it turns out, our intuition was right but not as we’d predicted; an announcement soon crackles over the ship’s intercom—the road to the Cape has been closed due to heavy snow and high winds, and the tour has been cancelled.
We disembark the ship and spend the next 2.5 hours wandering and playing in the town’s thick snow, whilst wrapped up like mummies.
Fishing in the “Barents Pantry”
Fishing isn’t just a job in Honningsvåg; it’s the town’s pulse. In late winter/early spring, the town erupts for the Skrei (migrating Atlantic cod) season. Millions of cod swim down from the Barents Sea to spawn, and the harbour fills with boats of all sizes as they harvest the sea’s bounty. The town is also known as the King Crab Capital: While cod is the historic backbone, the King Crab has become the new “gold.” These giant crabs (originally introduced to the Barents Sea by Soviet scientists in the 1960s) have migrated south towards Magerøya. They can weigh up to 10kg with a leg span of nearly 2 metres! Stockfish racks located on the edge of town are used for the world’s oldest export—cod dried by the cold Arctic wind and sun. By all accounts it’s so hard it has to be hammered before eating, but it’s packed with protein and lasts for years. I think I’ll pass on this thanks.
The “White Houses” of the Harbour
Honningsvåg, was almost entirely destroyed in 1944 when retreating German forces used “scorched earth” tactics. In the context of 1944 Northern Norway, the German forces were retreating from the Soviet Red Army and wanted to ensure the Soviets had absolutely nothing to sustain them as they moved forward. Houses, barns, hospitals, and schools were burned to the ground. In Honningsvåg, only the church was left standing. Bridges were blown up, roads were mined, and telephone lines were cut. Fishing boats were sunk, livestock was slaughtered, and food supplies were either taken or destroyed. Approximately 50,000 to 75,000 civilians were forced to flee south from the north. Those who refused to leave had to hide in caves and mountain huts and endure the brutal Arctic winter.
As we explore the harbour we notice three white, warehouse-like buildings sitting on stilts over the water. We discover that these non-descript warehouses are infact architectural icons of the town’s post-war reconstruction. These stations were built between 1955 and 1961 as part of the massive effort to bring the fishing industry back to life. Until 2003, they were owned and managed by the Women’s Fishery Association Service Station. In a town where the men were often at sea for weeks, the women ran the shore-side logistics and social support. The warehouses weren’t just for storage. They were “hubs” providing visiting fishermen with storage for gear, repair shops, and social facilities—a place to get a warm meal and a bed after battling the Barents Sea. Today, they are protected “listed” buildings and still in use.
As we meander back to the ship we spend more time simply playing in the snow, partly for the novelty and partly just to keep warm! We’re starving and after removing a multitude of layers sit down for lunch looking out through the restaurant’s picture windows at the deepening blue light.
The Northernmost Point
We depart Honningsvåg at 2:30 pm, and continue our voyage through the Barents Sea. We stop for 20 minutes at Kjøllefjord at 4.40pm before reaching Mehamn at 7:00 pm. The wind’s howling a gale and the snow falls in heavy curtains. A sign on the port proudly informs us that we have reached the northernmost point of the coastal route. It’s a desolate, beautiful scene: a lone dock worker ties us up, disappears into a warehouse, and re-emerges on a forklift to drive a stack of winter tires up the gangway and load them onto the ship. Life in the Arctic doesn’t stop for anything.
A Bottle of Wine & The Green Lady
After dinner, the announcement we’ve been hoping for finally comes, “Northern Lights at the bow.” We grab the remainder of our wine and retreat to the warmth of the Havila Bar on Deck 9 to play backgammon whilst keeping one eye on the sky. Eventually, the lure of the “Green Lady” becomes too strong. We don our layers and step out into the teeth of the gale.
The wind is so fierce we have to cling to the railings to stay upright, fighting to keep our cameras steady. But there, dancing above the churning Barents Sea, the mystical Aurora Borealis begin its ethereal performance. It’s a dramatic, wild, and unforgettable end to our day’s journey into the dark depth of the Norwegian polar winter.
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