At the latitude of 71° 10′ 21″ in Norway, there is an island called Magerøya, a seemingly barren land with no trees and harsh weather conditions. The island’s most northern tip consists of a heavy rock reaching into the Arctic Sea, widely known as North Cape, the most northern part of Europe. I had the chance to visit this place a couple of times before, but I saw it as most visitors experience the North Cape: Heavy fog, strong winds, and slim chances to see the midnight sun. In July 2019, though, this changed for me, and I was finally able to visit our home star on a blanket slate of a clear blue sky in the middle of the night.
The phenomenon occurs during the white nights in summer when the sun is not setting down; around midnight, it reaches its lowest point on the horizon but still shines brightly. It looks almost like a sunset, just that the sun is never setting behind the horizon and is getting up again. There is no darkness in these unique and somewhat spiritual nights, and this barren land seems alive like no other place. You see all the birds feeding on the waters, which are still rich in fish and sea animals. And there are reindeer grasses everywhere on the island, eating their beloved reindeer veil, which grows everywhere on Magerøya and is like candy for these animals.
Michael Hoffman Photography 