Due to an unscheduled military exercise occurring off the
coast, our agenda was pushed back several hours, which allowed us to take a
leisurely tour of Murmansk. Soviet-era
buildings are prevalent in this city of about 300,000, the northernmost in
Russia. The trees here are smaller than
they are in other parts of the country, since summer is so short. In fact, they often have measurable snow as
late as the end of June.
After (barely) clearing security, we boarded the 50 Years of
Victory, the crown jewel of the Russian icebreaker fleet. First up on the agenda was a mandatory intro
and safety meeting, followed by dinner.
Mushroom soup, ocean perch, duck, and wine. Around midnight, we launched into the Barents
Sea and by 2:00 AM were in open water. A
steady diet of Dramamine and soup are the only items on the menu, at least for
me, until we reach the ice - most likely tomorrow morning.
We will search for whales, narwhal, and a variety of other
arctic fauna, including numerous types of sea birds. It has become noticeably colder as we head
north east, and so the long underwear we packed may soon come into play.
