It is now 130 years since the famous Swedish/Finnish explorer Nordenskiöld finished his voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the Northeast Passage, the ice-fringed thread of water through the Russian Arctic.
At that time his ship, the Vega, was stuck in the ice for 10 months.
Due to climate change, it is now possible to navigate the passage by sailboat, and without the support of an icebreaker. This summer, the Swedish polar explorer Ola Skinnarmo and WWF are attempting to sail through the Northeast Passage, to document and highlight the incredible pace of change in the region.
The expedition started on 15 June from Stockholm and is scheduled to last until September, approximately the time the Arctic sea ice reaches its annual minimum level.
WWF’s Arctic Director Neil Hamilton will be on board for the first half of the trip, together with Arctic experts Dr Tom Arnbom, and Geoff York for the second half. They will be blogging their way along the route.
Northeast Passage web page for more information on their progress and blog
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