Senja Island (Norway)

Senja Island is part of Norway's in Troms og Finnmark County. By land area (approx 1586 km2 / 613 mi2) it is ranked Norways's second-largest - after Svalbard's Spitsbergen (37673 km2 / 14546 mi2). Senja kommune / municipality was established in 2020 via the merger of four former municipalities (Berg, Lenvik, Torsken, Tranoy).

Cruise ships visiting Senja Island usually dock at Finnsnes (mainland Norway) from where the island's largest town (Silsand) is accessed via the Gisund Bridge (1972-opened cantilever road bridge with length 1147 m / 3763 ft and clearance 41 m / 135 ft). At Senja proper, ships may stop at Tranoy (northeastern coast) or Skutvika (southwestern coast).

Senja Island has total population around 8,000, with most of the residents living along the eastern coast. The largest town (Silsand) has population over 1,500. Senja's highest elevation point is Breidtinden/Reaiddaidcohkka (1001 m / 3284 ft). Senjahopen (village) is approx 10 km / 6 mi northwest of the mountain, while Svartholvatnet (lake) is at the mountain's base.

Seasonal (summer) ferry services link Senja (Gryllefjord village) to Andoya Island (Andenes). The Norwegian Coastal Ferry company Hurtigruten provides regularly scheduled visits to Senja via stops in Finnsnes.

The island's dominant industries are commercial fishing (cod and pollock) and fish farming (salmon). The largest companies operating here are Nergard AS (fish processing plant in Senjahopen), Brodrene Karlsen Anleggsdrift AS (Husoy-based fishing company), Skaland Graphite AS (flake graphite mining company), Art Nor AS (in Silsand, specializes in food processing, owns the food brand "Kokt og Klar"/ready-made dishes), Troms Potato AS (Silsand-based factory and retailer specializing in food-processing based on the Norwegian traditional potatoes Gulloye and Mandelpotet), Nicopan Nord AS (glass manufacturer).

Next photo shows Senja's main town and principal port Silsand.

Senja is famous for its unique scenery with diverse landscapes (mountainous western part and lush hilly eastern part covered with birch forests) for which the island is often dubbed the "mini Norway". The island features mighty mountains that plummet straight into the sea, generally rocky coastline, secluded coves, sandy beaches.

Coastal pine forests mark most of the Anderdalen NP. The National Park was established in 1970 and enlarged in 2004 - to its current land area 134 km2 (52 mi2). Some of the park's trees are aged over 600. Park's wildlife includes moose, semi-domesticated reindeer, red foxes, stoats, hares, rodents, seals (at the fjords), otters (along the rivers). The Park also includes lake Andervatn.

Senja Island has four main/county roads - Road 86 (via Gisund Bridge/Finnsnes-Sorreisa-Bardufoss-Torsken-Gryllefjord), Road 861 (Silsand-Gisundet-Gibostad-northern Senja), Road 860 (Silsand-Stonglandseidet) and Road 862 (Berg-Senjahopen-Straumsbotn-Botnhamn).

The world's largest troll statue (1989-2019) was the Senja Troll. The famous tourist attraction was part of Hulderheimen culture center (in Finnsaeter village) but unfortunately burned down completely in 2019 (on March 28). Senja Troll had height 18 m (59 ft) and was made of injected concrete, polyester and plastic.

On Senja tourists can visit several museums, including Sami Museum (Kaperdalen), Hofsoy Museum (with a garden), Midt-Troms Museum (Kveitmuseet/Halibut), as well as Senjens Nickelworks (Hamn's Nickel Works site with the world's first hydropower plant/1882-built) and Mefjordvaer village's Lighthouse.