When every moment is worth capturing.
In mid-July, it was time to continue gathering material for a photo collection showcasing the seasons of the Archipelago Sea. The Archipelago Sea National Park includes over a dozen islands, with Örö being the most popular tourist destination. This former military island is now favored by nature enthusiasts and history buffs. Örö’s history dates back to the era of the Russian Empire in the 1800s when the island served as a coastal defense fortress. After Finland gained independence in 1917, the island remained a closed military area for a long time, but today it is part of the Archipelago Sea National Park and open to all visitors. A large part of the archipelago belongs to UNESCO’s global biosphere reserve network established in 1970.
The journey began at the Kasnäs harbor, from where a one-hour ferry ride to Örö island had been pre-booked. Those with overnight reservations checked in immediately upon arrival on the island, and luggage could be left to await transport to the hotel, which is though only a couple of hundred meters’ walk away. Bicycles can also be rented at the harbor, making it easier to get around the island. The ferry arrived at lunchtime, making it a perfect time to enjoy the island’s restaurant’s tasty offering before exploring nature.
Örö island has two nature trails: the southern loop marked with blue signs (4.7 km) and the northern loop marked with red signs (5.1 km). The island is known for its rare vegetation, but the fishing terns were so fascinating that daytime photography focused on them and the swallows, whose swift movements made the terns seem almost slow, not to mention the leisurely flying swans. A good spot to photograph birds and plants is Södernäbbet, located in the far south. Beautiful evening lights, on the other hand, were advised to be photographed at the northern West beach, where birds had left their footprints on the sand. It is important to remember that also humans should not leave anything else behind. While following the bird tracks, a foul smell carried by the wind revealed a dead seal washed ashore. The sight was not peaceful. The carcass’s mouth was open, showing its teeth. Its belly had also burst open, with innards and bones protruding, exposing nature’s brutal side.
Sunrise
The clouds gradually covered the setting sun, so instead of waiting for the sun to set entirely at half-past ten, it made sense to cycle back to the hotel to sleep for a few hours, as the time to capture the sunrise would come at 4:30 a.m. The sunrise is best photographed from the view points next to Storviken Bay, between the grazing fields. The sun rose to a slightly cloudy sky, casting dark hues. Herons and flocks of geese flying overhead also avoided the path between the camera and the sun. Even the tern was not entirely successful, dropping its freshly caught prey from its beak. Attitude greatly affects the impact of failures. The tern immediately started fishing again, and the photography continued in the island’s southern part, where the rising wind brought not the predicted rain but stunning waves and a pair of swans swimming among them. At Örö, every moment felt worth capturing – you just needed to change your location to follow the best lights, maybe change your subject from fishing terns to the feathers they have left behind or from lively swallows to the seal with life already faded – or focus on the breathtaking landscapes.
It is important for humans, too, to leave nothing but footprints behind.
For more information about this beautiful island visit www.visitoro.fi/en or www.nationalparks.fi/oro.