Now — today’s Geo Quiz takes us out to sea. The sea in question is the Baltic Sea. Several countries border it. Clockwise, they’re Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Germany, and Denmark.
We’re looking for an island IN the Baltic, though. Its main town is Visby. It’s said to be the best-preserved medieval town in all of Scandinavia. There’s still a 900 year old stone fortification wall that encircles the city.
From Visby, you can take a ferry west, to the nearby island of Oland, or to mainland Sweden. It takes a few hours. If you want to go east — to Latvia — you’re looking at an overnight ferry ride.
Those are the closest travel options for residents of this island — the biggest in the middle of the Baltic Sea.
Can you name it?
Time to answer today’s Baltic Sea edition of our Geo Quiz.
Seal colony near Lilla Karlsö Island, Baltic Sea - Photo: Måns Hjernquist
We asked you to name the largest island in the Baltic … its a Swedish island where its usually cold and snowy this time of year. Örjan Rudstedt sent us that audio postcard from the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, the answer to our Geo Quiz.
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Seal colony near Lilla Karlsö Island, Baltic Sea - Photo: Måns Hjernquist
Örjan notes that he recorded the Grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) at Lilla Karlsö island close to Gotland, using an Olympus LS 10 Telinga Pro 5 W at a distance 50 meters. It was a colony of approximately 70 animals, most of them in the water, 20 resting on the shore.
Örjan Rudstedt, whom we heard recording seals, has a very clear Stockholm accent, from the southern part of town I think, but I have been away from there since 1959, 51 years. The Gotland dialect is very differnt, and vary beautiful, especially when from the southern little peninsula, “Sudret”.
The “chalk” island he mentioned is probably Stora Karlsö (and its smaller companion Lilla Karlsön) just outside Gotland. They are made of lime stone, “kalk” in Swedish.
Good program!
All the best,
Carl.
Just a thanks for taking us into parts of the world, and the life of people around the world.
thanks again
Hugh
What differs them seals from us humans? In the summertime, I mean. And on Gotland of course.
Happy creatures on the beach,sunbathing,hanging around, having a good time, enjoying everything Mother Nature provides.
Wish we could present those sealsounds of utter content.
Fine program!
Regards!
Thomas
Yes you are right.Limestone is the stuff that built Gotland as well as the two Karlsö.
Yes Carl, my dialect is not the one spoken at Gotland. I was born in Södertälje 4 swedish miles south of Stockholm but I´ve spent most of my life in the capital. Funny you could be so sure about that.
We are planning for a new expedition to Karlsö this spring to record the real sealsong.
Best Regards
Örjan R