Rib Safari To Bird Mountain & Grumant

OVERVIEW

Ride in a Rigid Inflatable Boat or RIB along a scenic fjord to a line of sheer cliffs known as Bird Mountain, where you will see thousands of seabirds nesting in the rocks and flying overhead. Ocean water and glacial meltwater mix in the surrounding sea, producing an enormous amount of plankton. Crustaceans feed on the plankton, fish feed on the crustaceans and thousands of seabirds feast on both of them. You will likely see black-and-white auks and Atlantic puffins, which are surprisingly fast flyers that can reach speeds up to 55 mph. You also might spot northern fulmars, which are relatives of albatrosses, and black-legged kittiwakes, a graceful gull named for its loud, nasal ‘kitti-wake’ call. Farther down the coast, you will pass the ghost town of Grumant, which the Soviets built when they operated a coal mine there. The town was abandoned in 1965 and has since stood vacant.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Zip along the coast of a picturesque fjord in an open-air Rigid Inflatable Boat.
• Observe literally hundreds of seabirds that inhabit a sheer cliff known as Bird Mountain.
• Pass a former Soviet coal mining town that was abandoned in 1965.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing. Wear warm, layered clothing.
• Flat, sturdy walking shoes are recommended.