The Vega Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a myriad of islands scattered in the Norwegian Sea and home to one of Norway’s largest eider duck colony. Of the 6,000 Vega islands, 59 were once inhabited by families that made their living from fishing and from eider down harvesting. Today, there are no year-round residents, but the population returns in the summer to continue the 1,500-year-old tradition of caring for the eider ducks and harvesting their precious down. The eider ducks return to their breeding ground in the Vega Archipelago every year and lay their eggs from May into June.
Silver Cloud will then head north to cruise Vistenfjord and the Visten National Park. Much of the park’s bedrock is gneiss, which absorbs very little water, and the water flow in the streams and rivers may vary greatly –causing many cascades and waterfalls to exist. Visten National Park is an incredibly varied wilderness, ranging from fjords to vast forests and towering mountains. There are some trails at the outskirts of the national park, and depending on conditions, we will hike or take our Zodiacs to explore this enchanting area.
We will then head north to cruise Vistenfjord and the Visten National Park. Much of the park’s bedrock is gneiss, which absorbs very little water, and the water flow in the streams and rivers may vary greatly –causing many cascades and waterfalls to exist. Visten National Park is an incredibly varied wilderness, ranging from fjords to vast forests and towering mountains. There are some trails at the outskirts of the national park, and depending on conditions, we will hike or take our Zodiacs to explore this enchanting area.