Lofoten - Silent Trollfjord Cruise

It is unknown where the name “Trollfjord” originated, but there are legends and stories both fictional and other. One legend says that Trollfjord used to be a lake named “Trollsjoen”. A troll name Hinnøy was angry with another trolls cows were grazing on his fields around the lake. Running over with his axe, he tripped, and the axe flew out and landed in between the lake and raftsundet. When taking out the axe, the lake connected with Raftsundet, creating what we now know as Trollfjord.

Regardless or the origin of the name, Trollfjord seems an appropriate name for the impressive and overwhelming feeling one gets upon entering the fjord. Magnificent, impressive and a little frightening as you cruise in Trollfjord below the towering mountains that are threatening overhead and plunge deep into the fjord. It is certainly one of the most impressive fjords of Norway.

The white-tailed eagles are commonly seen on our Trollfjord Cruise. They are the largest eagle in Europe. They measure anywhere from 66 to 94 cm (26 to 37 inch) in total length with a typical wingspan of 1.78 to 2.45 m (5.10 – 8 feet). You can easily identify a white-tailed eagle by its, surprise, white tail. Juveniles are harder to distinguish as their tails are not (completely) white yet. They are also known as “sea eagles” as they feed primarily on fish. They are also known to attack livestock such as sheep and goats, which nearly caused humans to eradicate them from Lofoten.

Lofoten used to have a large population of white-tailed eagle (and golden eagles). Sadly, the population is now only a fraction of what it was. The main reason for this is ‘eagle hunting’. It was accepted for farmers and others to hunt and kill the eagles as they formed a threat for their livestock. As early as 1655 eagle hunting was recorded in Lofoten. In particular because of the unusual catching technique; by hand. In 1845 the government even paid people for each kill and between then and 1968 when the law was abolished, an estimated 114.000 eagles are believed to have been killed in Norway.

Nowadays, the pendulum has swung the other side and white-tailed eagles are a tourist attraction. It is now a common practice to feed the eagles in Trollfjord to get them to come close, a practice we believe is not appropriate and something we have decided not to partake in.