Gullvika to Trollfjord

Awaking at 0330 this morning, my customary insomnia was rewarded with a delicate pink glow which seemed to fill the cabin with its soft light. The mountains outside had crept into our tiny space inside Traversay and were luring me outside in the freezing pure air. The panorama of mountains spread out before me – seemingly Nature had opened her bounty for me as the sole viewer. 

Cottages (Sjohus) in Gullvika inner bay

Yet humans had lived their lives, raised their families and prepared their fish meals for perhaps a thousand years in this very basin – only a few hundred years ago the harbour would have been filled with fishboats and the shores full of homes where families were raised. Nature has nearly succeeded in erasing the tiny incursions of Man into this outer bay. Now under the delicate scarves of ancient mosses you can only catch glimpses of foundations and walls made of large rocks laboriously dragged into place and assembled without mortar. Some of the paths we trod on were surely there for years – some of the huge boulders looked as it they’d been carelessly tumbled down the mountainside by a disgruntled giant. Walking amongst them brought stories of trolls and the later imaginings of hobbit-like beings to mind.

Tunicate

Morning sun star

Urchin

Nudibranch

After re-anchoring, we had spent several days alone here walking up to two lakes on the ancient pathways and diving the clear and very cold waters. Underwater the colours are strident – beautiful bright pink coralline algae, a bright white nudibranch and colourful sea stars compete for their food in the cold water. Visibility is excellent as the algae bloom which helps feed many of the creatures has not taken hold yet for this summer. Larry’s pictures show specimens very like those remembered from visits to the Vancouver Aquarium’s Arctic section. 

As the morning progressed, the light became crystalline and every rock and crevasse were captured under its searchlight. Because we moved early,  when we reached our goal the sun followed us into the narrow tunnel and rewarded us with this spectacular view of Trollfjord!