Northwest Passage
In 2005 Id had 3 weeks to prepare myself for the South Atlantic Ocean and the frozen environment of the sub Antarctic islands of South Georgia.
August 22nd 2006 I received a sat phone call from high in the Canadian Arctic, it was a chance to this time venture north and was completely unexpected. Three days later after a frantic effort to pack and finish up my season in California I suddenly found myself on route to Ottawa, Canada.
The last charter flight landed down in Resolute, an isolated village situated on Cornwallis Island, Nunuvut. At 72° North Cornwallis Island is situated in the Parry Channel.
For the next 26 days I would work for an expedition cruise company called Peregrine, onboard a ship called “Akademik Ioffe”. My role as part of a large staff comprised of naturalists, lecturers, wildlife specialists, history buffs, zodiac drivers and logistics coordinators was to deliver an adventurous sea-kayaking program.

With all passengers onboard we pulled anchor and left Resolute. It was a memorable time; suddenly I was aboard a huge 115 metre Russian ship, built in Finland embarking on a journey to complete a transit of the incredibly famous and for a long time highly sought after North-West Passage.

Standing up high on the sixth deck I struggled to believe my fortune. I was stunned, questioning why I was the one to be so fortunate, I shook my head and laughed to myself, stoked, completely stoked. Here I was setting off into a part of the world busting at the seams with Inuit culture, uninhabited terrain, exploration history and legendary stories of explorers, the hardship they endured and the men who’s lives were lost in the pursuit of the foreign lands and hidden waterways.


For most the chance to travel to the high Arctic and retrace the paths of previous expedition vessels would be something worked towards and dreamed about for years. An overwhelming level of enthusiasm and interest would surround the opportunity. The chance to see the waters that the Gjoa first navigated, Amudsen’s small ship which he successfully navigated through the North West Passage in 1903-1905. Men with names such as Franklin, Ross, Parry, Richardson, Mc Clintock and Rae who pushed the envelope enduring long harsh winters, their ships locked in pack ice, men who traveled miles and miles overland mapping the internal waterways and coastline of Northern Canada. Their exploration of un-chartered waterways and landscapes never seen by white people collectively opened a passage linking the Atlantic to the Pacific. This highly sought after route linking predominantly traffic from Europe to Asia would open up an alternative path for trade exchange.



With the vast channels, inlets, straits and islands ahead of us our transit of the North-West Passage began. Destination Amudsen Gulf and the Beaufort Sea.