Thursday, August 27, 2009

Around The Americas Update: Through The Northwest Passage!


Great news for anyone following the Around The Americas expedition. The crew of the Ocean Watch has successfully navigated the Northwest Passage and have now moved out into the relatively warmer waters of the Prince Regent Inlet. This is a major milestone for the ship and her crew, who are making the first circumnavigation of North and South America.

The last time we checked in on the Ocean Watch, it was just setting out into the Passage. But now, a month later, it is through that legendary passage and will soon turn south, towards Cape Horn, and the next perilous milestone on the 24,000 mile journey.

The expedition is attempting to become the first to sail completely around both North and South America, a journey which has only recently been made possible thanks to global climate change and the opening of the Northwest Passage. Along the way, the ship will pass through diverse waters, and take scientific measurements in order to record the impact of climate change on those waters. You can follow along with the crew thanks to their always interesting and well written blog reports, and track the progress of the Ocean Watch itself.

It is great to see that the team has cleared the Passage and is making excellent, steady progress. They obviously still have a very long way to go, but this is arguably the most dangerous leg of the journey, at least until they reach the Cape. Until then, they'll probably enjoy the warmer waters and take their time through the Caribbean. Or maybe that's just what I would do. ;)

No comments:

Post a Comment