Eleven o’clock in the evening. It is calm and the sea like a mirror and the temperatures are still far above twenty degrees centigrade. We are pushing the boat carefully into the water, start the engine and and chug along the Langfjord until we pass Kirkenes. The sky above Kirkenes is rosy but when we enter the Bøkfjord, the play of colors is changing and dark-hued red and orange colors are dominating the sky.
We continue through the Kjelmøysundet until we come to the bay Kimbukta where we make a break and have a small picnic. On the horizon we can see the coastline of the Varanger peninsula. Diagonally opposite of the Kimbukta, the small island Kim is situated as well as some tiny archipelagoes which are a perfect place for sea birds to rest during the night. Only one single seagull is awake all night.
It is long past midnight when we are heading home again. The sea reflects the dark-hued orange color from the sky. We stop the engine, enjoy the silence and we watch the play of colors. Suddenly, we hear the blow of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) right behind our boat. They are the smallest wale species in Europe and since they only show up for breathing for some seconds, it is really difficult to press the release of my camera at the right time.
An unusual warm wind is blowing on our way home. We are back at four o’clock in the morning and already now it is – compared to the northern conditions – far too warm in the sun.