Dear Coast, from Grace Lin

My name is Grace and I’m a Taiwanese producer and filmmaker based in London. I’m excited to share my film about seeing the Northern Lights aboard MS Richard With in October 2024.

I make travel programmes, so travelling is a big part of my life. I’ve been to Greenland, Iceland, and Antarctica, where I camped on the ice, hearing it creak and calve into the sea. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen the Northern Lights – I’d already seen a weak display in Svalbard – but it was my first ‘proper’ aurora experience, and this time it truly lived up to my expectations.

Growing up in Taiwan, a tropical island where seeing the Northern Lights is impossible, travelling as far north as the Norwegian coast felt like a dream. Chasing the aurora requires an adventurous spirit, and before this voyage I felt that many people, like me, may not know the best places, times, or seasons to see the Northern Lights.

I was also concerned about the cold and boredom during the long hours of darkness. But I soon learned that these worries don’t apply to a moving ship. If the chill on deck became too much, I went back inside for a warm drink and then headed back out – the aurora was still waiting for me! And there were so many things to do when the aurora wasn’t playing. I saw reindeers and sleigh dogs and visited a snow hotel.

Now, I tell all my friends and family that travelling with Tom Kerss and Hurtigruten is a great way to see the Northern Lights. Everything I needed was on board, and away from air and light pollution. The onboard astronomy lectures taught me a lot, and I was surrounded by a community of like-minded travellers.

Also, Tom shared his knowledge of and passion for the aurora throughout. His enthusiasm is infectious, and it helped me feel even more connected, both to the lights and to the other passengers.

My biggest takeaway is that chasing the aurora is not just an encounter with Mother Nature; it’s also about bonding with the other people on board. Witnessing the Northern Lights is a shared experience. Waiting together – whether playing poker, having deep conversations in the café or bar, or braving the cold outside – heightens the excitement.

Then comes that collective ‘wow’ moment, the awed silence, followed by the screams of joy. I remember one person exclaiming, “I feel alive!” Afterwards, we shared our photos. These moments together are what I enjoyed the most.

Many of my Taiwanese friends who live in the UK think about visiting Iceland for the Northern Lights, but it involves a lot of research and there’s still no guarantee. Hurtigruten’s Astronomy Voyage feels more like a promise. There’s a real confidence about what the guests will experience.

During my five days aboard MS Richard With, sailing from Bodø to Kirkenes and back to Tromsø, I witnessed the aurora twice. The whole sky lit up green above me. I saw rare red and pinkish hues, too. I didn’t even know that you could see such colours in the lights, nor that they dance above your head as you walk around!

The night after I left, there was an even more magnificent sighting. With the Solar Maximum expected to peak soon, the coming year or so is a great time to chase the aurora.

Now, I feel like I have a far more in-depth understanding of the lights. I know when to chase and when to wait, how to recognise and how to capture the Northern Lights. I know more about the history and legends of the lights. And I know that this experience is even more incredible when it’s shared.

Every aurora sighting is a special one and I really want to see more, because maybe the next display will be even better. It’s addictive!