Fishing Trip to a Baltic Sea Island

Three generations at sea: a day of memories, seaglass, and reflections on the fragile Baltic Sea

The ice has gone, and we took our first boat trip of the spring. We set out to sea in my father’s boat, bringing plenty of warm clothes with us. However, we ended up having a very warm and calm day, which was really lovely!

We spent the whole day on an island in the Gulf of Finland, exploring, fishing, and simply enjoying being there. It was me, my partner, our three children, my father, and his partner. Come along, and I’ll show you the beautiful marine nature of the Baltic Sea awakening in spring.

In this same boat, I have spent many trips from my childhood on these same waters. My father has had this same boat for over 30 years, and many journeys have been made on the Baltic Sea with it. Perhaps it is precisely because of those trips that the islands still fascinate me to this day.

Our 6yo daughter smiled happily for the whole boat trip with sand shovel and bucket on her hands. She was waiting for a sandy beach. On our way, we saw many birds: cormorants, swans, geese, and of course plenty of seagulls. We passed many interesting islands and saw many beautiful smooth rock surface stretching along the shoreline.

We landed on one of these rocky shores. There was hardly any sand at all, which slightly puzzled the 6yo, but the children quickly started playing on the rocks. Water had gathered in the hollows of the rock, and it was fun to scoop it into buckets. It was also nice to dip their hands into the water and feel the slimy surface of the seaweed.

Our 9yo discovered the remains of a great spotted woodpecker under the pine tree, and we gathered its beautiful feathers, feeling sad about the bird’s fate.

My father set up his whitefish fishing rods. A worm is placed on the hook, and it is cast far out into the water. The rod is set upright into a crack in the rock, and a small bell is attached to it to signal when the rod starts to move. This is a fun way to fish, because it doesn’t rule out doing other things while waiting for a catch.

My partner and I went to light a campfire to make coffee. We had a nice moment together, listening to the crackling fire and slowly finishing the sentences left unfinished during the busy day.

After we had all had coffee together, my partner and I went to explore further along the island’s shoreline. We climbed among the rocks, exploring what we could find between them. The sun was really warming there, and we took off our jackets and were just in T-shirts.

We found beautiful pebbles, seaglass and shells, which we collected in our hands. Seaglass is nature’s way of turning waste into beauty. Once sharp, dangerous glass litter, now a treasure shaped by the waves, sand, and sunlight into something smooth and rounded.

I found myself thinking: Somehow, like the seaglass itself, things that were once sharp and difficult can be softened by time, movement, and growth.

The children had moved on to building a miniature world on a mossy area. At this point, the fishing rod rang, and my father caught the first and only whitefish.

We cooked meal over the campfire. While eating, my father began to recall boat trips from 20 years ago. Near this very island, marine research vessel had been anchored for several weeks. After it left, my father and his brother went diving at the site with their own boat to see what might have ended up on the seabed. They found, among other things, several filleting knives and a washing machine. My father shook his head; he could not understand why anyone would throw a washing machine into the sea.

The Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. Its salinity is low due to a large drainage basin and only a narrow connection to the oceans. For the same reason, water exchange is slow, and therefore environmental toxins and nutrients can affect the Baltic Sea for a long time.

It saddens me that our sea is in such poor condition. In the past, people treated the seas with negligence, and all kinds of things were thrown and discharged into them. There is still a lot to be done, but fortunately things are moving in a better direction. It is a pity that problems are often addressed only once the damage has been done, even though the Baltic Sea has shown some signs of recovery.

At the end of the day, we returned to the mainland and lifted the boat out of the water. We were tired, but in a quiet, content kind of way — the kind that comes after a day spent fully outside in the fresh sea air.

I can’t wait to get back on the water again. Our long summer holiday will once again include a lot of time at our summer cottage on the shores of Lake Päijänne, boating, paddling, and admiring Finland’s beautiful nature.

🌿 GROW WILD IN FOREST SOIL 🌿

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