With so many species of whales in these waters, we filled our remaining itenerary with whale watching.
However, on this first day, we are birding. Our little boat glides along the fjords. On board, we are honored to have our new guide. She is a true birder.
She first shows us cute little flying penguins, the thick-billed murres. While eagles soar in the sky but flop around in the water, these murres evolved in the opposite way. With their relatively small wings, they soar on the way up to the surface.
We also spotted their cousins, little auks, dotting the cliffs. These guys can fly like a sparrow, swim like a duck, and dive into the water like a loon. They also have plasticity in their feeding habits, helping them thrive in these frigid Arctic waters.