The King Crab Safari

What I thought was our boat.

 What was really our boat!

July 20, 2012

I booked a tour because I found the name intriguing - for no better reason than that.  And after, my initial shock, I was fascinated and "amazed".

QM2 anchored in the outer harbour and took tenders to the small dock.  Just across the street was a shop - 71 degrees North - our outfitters.  There were 16 in our group and we were taken inside and bundled into waterproof suits - bright orange with flotation devices integrated into the fabric.  We looked like tubby elementary school pupils going out into the snow.

 

Instead of snow, we crossed the street through a windy mist or a misty wind and hopped - yes, me too - into a Zodiac, just like Jacques-Yves Cousteau.  The boat is a rubber, bullet-shaped, shallow, very fast speed boat.  It rides above the waves, bouncing at the crest of each.   Wheeeeeee!!!!!  What a rush!
A rush, that is, after the initial "What the hell am I doing here? "  I noticed that the "mood" ring was jet black - stress pure.

But, it was stress without distress.  The best word is exhilarating.  We bounced and bobbed along for about 20 minutes, through the fjord to open water (I think - my glasses were full of salt spray) then to another fjord.  There were two boats and we circled an area marked by an orange buoy.  Then, the two men in charge of our boat hauled up an enormous crab pot - about a meter square, full and very heavy.

For those who don't know, I grew up around the Chesapeake Bay - the most beautiful and probably most mosquito-ridden bay in the world.  Summer memories of my childhood include lots of itching, freckles, sun-bleached red hair and more itching, fishing with my grandfather and never ever catching anything with a hook but lots of blue crabs in the crab pot.  They seem so small in comparison.

The flap on the underside of the shell tells the difference between males and females and one female had thousands and thousands of eggs, most of which will never grow up.  Unlike the Chesapeake Bay blue crabs which are completely consumed except for lungs - gills - shell and inside chitin, the king crab claws and legs are the only parts eaten.  The rest is sometimes used as fertilizer or as bait for other crabs.  As a matter of fact, if the trap is not emptied before the bait is completely consumed, the crabs will eat each other.  There didn't seem to be a good reason why the rest of the crab is not eaten or I did not hear it.  I was too busy avoiding the claws while holding the crab - wait until you see that photo!!

Our driver who spoke excellent English was very knowledgeable and personable, a most attractive combination, talked just enough to inform and encourage questions which he answered enthusiastically and competently.

He took the scenic route getting back because all 8 of us had wanted to stay.  But, after about 10 minutes of "fjording", he saw a squall coming from the open water and wanted to outrun it.  He didn't, despite the very fast speed.  We had spray from the front and rain from the back and it was wonderful.

Once back at the dock, we took our time undressing - it was not possible to removed thick, wet clothing quickly while reliving our adventures in English, German and a combination of both.  We were all "high".

That evening there were only about 20 people in the ballroom so I went to the Chart Room to hear the jazz trio and had a very interesting conversation with a retired German manager.  The next time I see him, I am sure he will ask about Aurora, Colorado and the lack of gun control - damn.

And, while I am at it, many Germans rightly complain about the foreigners who come to Germany and demand signs, forms and the rest of everyday life in their own language.  Yet many Germans (more than 1600 at last count) demand that everything on this ship be in German. 

Apparently, it's not enough that all announcements are repeated in German, there is a German host or hostess stationed at the purser's desk and others scattered throughout the ship, the menu and daily program are in German, there are parallel tours in German and on and on.  And it's still not enough for too many Germans who, because they cannot imagine that I understand them, do not hesitate to vent in my presence.  the most common complaint I have heard is that the summer weather in Northern Norway is horrible.  I guess they think Cunard did promise them a "rose garden."  Their problem, not mine.  Every minute is a joy!