Johanne Øien Persen
Johanne grew up in Kjøllefjord on the coast of Finnmark, a small fishing village with only 1,000 inhabitants and the rough Barents Sea as her nearest neighbour. Nature reigns supreme there, and Johanne has been active in the wilderness all her life. She drives boats and snowmobiles, fishes at sea and in mountain lakes and hunts grouse on Finnmarksvidda. She is also a former biathlete.
In the summer of 2022, Johanne was a host at Nordenskiöld Lodge, and now she will guide snowmobile guests out into the arctic wilderness.
– I have worked a bit with tourism in the past, where I showed visitors how we cut cod tongues and trap fish. It’s really fun to experience the guests’ excitement and interest in something that is completely everyday for us, smiles Johanne.
– I am very patriotic, and love Kjøllefjord and the surrounding nature. Svalbard is even more extreme, with even harsher nature, greater distances, polar bears and glaciers. It attracts me. You don’t get further north on mainland Norway than Kjøllefjord and Nordkynhalvøya, but I want even further north! That is why I am here in Svalbard. I can’t wait to take the guests out for a walk, and show them the unique and magnificent nature up here.