Roald Amundsen took almost three years to find and sail the Northwest Passage in the early 1900s, we took three weeks to do it in 2024. We set out from Kangerlussuaq, Greenland on July 24th aboard the National Geographic Resolution for Nome, Alaska destined to cross the Canadian Archipelago along the way. It was a stark but beautiful reminder of the fact that climate change has opened up the sea ice in the Arctic to allow ships to more easily pass the narrow passages of the Bellot Strait, the 2km-wide strait of water that forms the northernmost boundary of the North American continent and connects the east to the west. For us, it was relatively ice-free in fact, though we were prepared. The NG Resolution is a Polar Class 5 icebreaker captained by Captain Martin Graser who gleefully would take this ship into the toughest waters looking for “fun.” And, it was.
The journey was one of exploration and discovery as we visited the sites of the previous explorers and the Inuit villages along the way to better understand the indigenous people who make their way in some of the toughest conditions on the planet to survive. They are a remarkable people, who live in a remarkable place.
We also enjoyed the opportunity to see an immense amount of wildlife along the way and to enjoy the company of amazing friends. Most importantly, we were reminded that we must continue to take better care of our planet because the sheer fact that we could make this voyage is testament to the changing conditions caused by climage change. We are having an undue influence on our planet, and we must be more cognizant as to the implications of those changes on the long term sustainability of our world and all of the beings that live within it.
