Stappen Island Bird Safari
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Port
Honningsvag, Norway
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
Local Sightseeing,All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$249.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Begin this tour in Honningsvåg with a panoramic drive past fish factories, hotels and the airstrip.
Leaving town, you'll skirt the shoreline of Skipsfjord, where weekend huts huddle at the water's edge. The road climbs from there to an upland plateau, where the landscape appears barren but, in fact, is riddled with a massive variety of plants. In the summer months, some four to five thousand reindeer graze here, and with a bit of luck, you will spot some of them. They are domesticated and belong to the Sami people -- a minority group living mainly in the county of Finnmark. Ten percent of Sami still live a nomadic life, following their reindeer to the coast in spring and returning inland in the fall.
Your destination is Gjesvær -- one of the three small fishing villages on the island of Magerøy, about 22 miles to the west of the provincial capital of Honningsvåg. Gjesvær boasts a protected harbor and a hundred or so islands, large and small, just off the coast. Among these is Stappan Island.
You will take a boat ride out to the archipelago that is situated 10 miles west of the North Cape cliff. Nature and birdlife are well protected here -- a certain distance must be kept -- but it's easy to catch spot nesting seabirds, including black-legged kittiwakes, puffins, razorbills, common guillemots, great cormorants, European shags and northern gannets. Sea eagles are also often seen. After approximately two hours of bird watching, you will return to Gjesvær village and take the coach back to the pier in Honningsvåg.
Notes:
It is essential that you wear warm, layered clothing in order to fully enjoy and participate in this excursion. Outer layer should be waterproof and windproof. Bring gloves, a warm hat and a scarf.