When I stepped off the plane in Longyearbyen, Norway, the world’s northernmost settlement at 78 deg N, the sun was shining brightly and I was surrounded by water and arctic snow-capped mountains. Not too unusual for mid-June, right? Right…except that the local time was 2am.
Welcome to the land of the midnight sun.
So how did I get here, so far north that the sun never sets? I have Faith Ortins of DUI to thank, who took me and 20 others on a week-long Arctic journey full of cold water diving, polar bears, and lots of ice aboard Oceanwide Expeditions ship Plancius.
We boarded Plancius and headed out of Isfjorden, where we were greeted by our first wildlife sighting – Blue Whales! Each day was a different adventure, which often included diving in places no one has ever been diving before. Twice a day we were loaded into zodiacs and taken to the dive sites. After a backwards roll entry, we’d spend 30-45 mins exploring the freezing water (temps ranged from 35-43 degrees F). Luckily, many of us (including me) had DUI’s BlueHeat undergarment system to keep us warm. After the dive we would take off our gear, hand up our precious camera rigs, and pull ourselves back up into the zodiac (not always gracefully). The Arctic waters were teeming with life, from anemones and urchins to sculpins and seals.
After one particularly beautiful dive, a curious harbor seal swam by to check me out. It is actually unusual to see harbor seals in this location, making this the northernmost population of the species.
“That was magical!”
In the few days where we weren’t diving, we were sailing through the pack ice searching for polar bears and walruses.
To my surprise, there were two former OWUSS Rolex Scholars on this expedition. Yolly Bosiger (AU 2012) was working for Oceanwide as a dive guide and also currently works for the BBC Natural History unit. Dr. Karen Van Hoesen (NA 1988), director of the Diving Medicine Center at University of California San Diego, was along teaching a wilderness medicine course for the doctors on board. It was a great experience learning from the two of them, along with the various professional photographers, diving doctors, expedition guides, and other industry professionals on board.
Near the last day of our journey, we got to do something particularly special — walk on the sea ice! I don’t think any of us will ever forget what is was like to stand on the Arctic Ocean.
I cannot thank Faith Ortins and DUI enough for taking me on this incredible learning experience and for Faith’s nonstop support throughout the entire planning process and expedition. Thank you also to DUI, Aqualung, Halcyon, Bob Hahn, Light and Motion, Reef Photo & Video, and Fourth Element for outfitting me with all the gear and more that is necessary for diving in and documenting this extreme environment. To Rolex and OWUSS – thank you for making this all possible.
