Abel
Tasman
Logbook

The team have arrived at their second port in Greenland, Ilulissat! The crew have navigated through an increasing number of icebergs amidst foggy conditions, crossed the Arctic circle and celebrated in style with a cold dip, and continued with eDNA and microplastic sampling. After the fog cleared, they had clear views of the Greenland coast - complete with fjords, lakes, mountains, and an erupting volcano. In Disko Bay, the crew explored the various icebergs - often with flocks of birds perching on them - donning their scuba kit, whilst Keith jumped into his sea kayak, and Karina's husband Max scaled them with an ice pick! Karina has been flying her drone to gain new perspectives of the Arctic sea and landscapes, and Meg has constantly had her sketchbook in hand to capture snapshots to help create her artwork series after her time onboard.

On 20 July, the Abel Tasman anchored for a short while in Fortune Bay on Disko Island for some time to kayak and scuba dive amongst a sea of stunning icebergs.

This beautiful iceberg, with its varying shades of white and blues, captured the crew’s imaginations. With a main berg and two smaller pillars, Karina threw up her drone to investigate - and discovered the huge shelf underneath - whilst Keith circled the huge structure (estimated to be 1 million tonnes) in his sea kayak. Look closely and you will be able to spot Keith!

Now in Disko Bay the action is ramping up. Keith is exploring the local icebergs in his sea kayak, Karina is flying her drone to gain new perspectives of the Arctic sea and landscapes, Meg constantly has her sketchbook in hand - whilst Cleo, Sylvestre, and Seb are kept busy capturing all of the activities, as well as underwater acoustics recordings. The crew have also been scuba diving and hiking to explore Greenland’s coast both above and below the waves.

On the morning of 17 July, the Abel Tasman officially crossed the Arctic Circle (66°33’N) - marking the official start of the Northwest Passage. Most of the crew celebrated with a cold dip in the 3.9°C water.

As they left Nuuk harbour, it was a sunny and beautiful afternoon. Then as the boat travelled offshore, they immediately journeyed into immediate spooky fog (and even a fogbow) that often surrounds the Greenland coast.

The crew continue to explore the local area as they wait for a storm to pass and a few more exciting crew members to join! Meg has been capturing ‘colour studies’ of the Greenland coastline and ocean views, as well as sketches and doodles of icebergs.