The fjord mountains in Flam

Our last stop for the seminar was Flam in Norway. Flam is about a three hour bus ride from Bergen, which is known as the unofficial capital of Norway. Flam is also home to the very famous Norwegian Fjords. “Fjord” is a Norwegian word that has become international. It’s known as an ancient Viking term related to the phrase for ‘crossing point’ and the word ‘ferry’. Fjords are narrow inlets of the ocean between cliffs. They are formed when glaciers retreat, allowing the sea to fill in the remaining space.

The Fjords are so beautiful but they need to be preserved. On this seminar, we were able to take a snowshoe hike up one of the fjords. This was a new experience for me because I never snowshoe and I am not the best hiker especially on steep routes. The views from the fjord we climbed were absolutely amazing, I had to take so many pictures to post on my Instagram.

During our snowshoe hike, we learned that deep water in fjords can stay stagnant for several years, which can lead to a decrease in oxygen levels and create environmental challenges for local ecosystems. Having access to new oxygen supply is essential for all organisms living in the fjord because having a loss of oxygen can change physiology, growth, migratory patterns, prevaluence, and the relationship between predator and prey in the fjord ecosystems.

Right after our snowshoe hike, we all went on a boat ride across the fjords. For that we had to wear layers of thermal along with a water suit and heavy goggles/gloves. It was very cold riding in the boat because of how windy the weather was. Throughout the boat ride we learned that we should practice eco-tourism because of all the damaging impacts tourists leave in foreign countries. From not utilizing public modes of transport to literring. It has become a serious problem in many countries and especially in Scandinavia during summer as per what our tour guide said.