Abel TasmanAfter the storm had passed, the crew set sail from Lady Richardson Bay with clear skies and darkness, and witnessed their first sighting of the Northern Lights as they entered Amundsen Gulf.
The Northern Lights over the Amundsen Gulf. Credit: Ramon Gonçalves, MEDIA.etc. 
With a strong gale approaching, the crew sought shelter in Lady Richardson Bay - a very remote but beautiful place on Victoria Island, and well protected from the incoming winds. They stayed anchored there for several days, with most of the crew exploring by foot and Kester and Sylvestre exploring from above.
Left: Cameraman Ramon Gonçalves. Middle: Abel Tasman moored. Credit: Sylvestre Campe, MEDIA.etc. Right: The crew hike to gain a different viewThe crew set sail from Cambridge Bay along Dease Strait, and then Dolphin and Union Strait - journeying between the North American continent and Victoria Island. They were blessed with fantastic weather, and Sebastian took out his guitar to play on deck as we sailed towards the sunset whilst Alex took eDNA samples with the NatureMetrics kit.
Alex takes eDNA samples and Seb plays his guitar as the Abel Tasman sails down Dolphin and Union Strait. Credit: Keith Tuffley'In the midnight sun, slaloming through icebergs' - brothers on perilous Arctic voyage. Read the article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1m0pxp13mpo
Northwest Passage Ocean Science Expedition featured in BBC NewsThe crew spent several days moored in Cambridge Bay to get some respite from the challenging navigation through sea ice (see their second zigzag route near Victoria Island on the interactive map). They will need to be fully rejuvenated before the next long leg of the expedition, around Alaska. Whilst in Cambridge Bay, they met some of the wonderful local community, including a very generous couple - Jim and Rosalyn - who invited the whole crew to their cabin outside of town. The journey (via quad bike) gave the team a chance to take in some of the rugged beauty of the tundra landscape on the island.
Left: Jim and Rosalyn with Isak. Credit: Keith Tuffley. Middle: Sylvestre and Kester fly above the couples cabin. Credit: Ramon Gonçalves, MEDIA.etc. Right: Isak and the team explore Cambridge Bay. Credit: Keith TuffleyAfter heading East, they found a 200m patch of thick sea ice to anchor to, close to Erebus Bay. The crew spent the rest of the day exploring in the air, on the ice, and in the water. It was a very special experience for all of the crew, anchored on a small piece of sea ice in the middle of the open strait. Kester went flying with his paramotor. Cleo, Sebastian, and Sylvestre went diving in the cold waters (0.9C) and recorded the sounds of the ice with highly sensitive sound equipment. Others explored the ice, keeping their eyes open for any polar bears, and taking out their cameras to capture the beautiful scene of eerie low lying fog and the ever changing colours of a stunning Arctic sunset.
The crew explore a small patch of dense sea ice. Credits: Left & Middle - Keith Tuffley. Right - Sylvestre Campe, MEDIA.etcThe Abel Tasman is following the route that the Erebus and Terror made on the infamous Franklin expedition in 1845-48. However with one stark difference - whilst Franklin’s crew was trying to avoid sea ice (and ultimately became stuck in it), the Abel Tasman’s crew are navigating through mostly open waters, and are actively searching for summer sea ice to document. They passed the location where the ships became stuck in ice, and where they later were abandoned 20 months later and eventually sank. The wrecks were only discovered recently, and there is ongoing exploration of them. The crew use the daily Canadian ice charts, which have colour codes indicating areas with certain thicknesses of sea ice. Although mostly open waters through their route, at times the crew had to play ‘ice-slalom’ and manoeuvre through dense ice (check out their zig-zag route on the live map) - with members of the crew ready to push pieces away from the boat with long poles.
Isak and Rakel push a piece of thick sea ice away from the Abel Tasman. Credit: Alex RockströmOriginally planning to circle round King William Island’s western side to reach Gjoa Haven (due to sea ice blocking the eastern side), the crew had to change plans again, with more sea ice blocking their path. So instead they sailed down the west side of King William Island and towards Victoria Island
A sea ice map, with red and orange areas showing thick sea ice blocking the Abel Tasman’s routeAfter much discussion and checking of sea ice maps, weather, and currents, the crew decided to set sail from Prince of Wales Island, but on an altered route by-passing the scheduled stop in Gjoa Haven - due to thick sea ice blocking the channel they were due to sail through. These decisions are not taken lightly, and will determine whether the crew will make it through the passage safely, or need to be rescued.
The Abel Tasman with Keith Tuffley, Sylvestre Campe and Kester Haynes at the bow. Credit: Ramon Gonçalves, MEDIA.etcSince reaching Canada, the crew have seen numerous polar bear tracks when on land. And with an estimated 4,000 polar bears in the region Alex plays a crucial role in keeping the team safe by keeping a keen look out and carrying a rifle as a last resort. Polar bears are the only mammals known to actively hunt humans for food and in many places carrying a rifle is mandatory. The crew also carry flares and bangers as deterrents and have a clear safety strategy for any encounters.
The crew have come across many polar bear tracks since reaching Canada, and two polar bears! Middle image credit: Keith Tuffley
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