This new cruise-ship activity is surprisingly popular
Scientists are always short of research funds, but the boom in the popularity of expedition cruising has given them an unexpected opportunity to access remote places.
Instead of making single, expensive visits to Antarctica, for example, scientists hitch rides on cruise ships that make repeat visits and provide the opportunity for data collection over an entire season.
Meanwhile, cruise passengers' willingness to get involved in a 'citizen science' capacity is proving invaluable for crowdsourcing data on everything from whale migration and microplastics to seabird populations. And it isn't only the scientists who benefit. Guests get a better insight into the environments in which they sail, and feel that they're doing their bit to understand and preserve the wildlife and landscapes around them.
Citizen-science projects produce tangible results, among them that ships in Antarctica now sail under 10 knots after a study showed that, at that speed, whales have a far greater chance of avoiding or surviving ship strikes. In 2023 Viking Cruises encountered rare giant phantom jellyfish in Antarctica, and in 2024 discovered a new chinstrap penguin colony near Antarctica's Astrolabe Island.
Viking's expedition ships have a Science Lab and the company works with prestigious partners such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Norwegian Polar Institute. Expedition lines with visiting scientist programs include Chimu Adventures, Lindblad Expeditions and Quark Expeditions, which works with Penguin Watch to study the impact of avian flu.
Seabourn encourages guests to gather and share data on seabirds, micro-plastics and cloud formation. Its newest collaboration this year is with EyeSea on marine pollution.
Citizen-science involvement is now so common on cruise ships that you can pick your area of interest. HX (formerly Hurtigruten) works on the Whales & Arctic Vessels Project (WAVE), but with two citizen-science projects on every voyage that might study anything from phytoplankton to the aurora borealis, you never know what might catch your attention.
HX's science program donated more than 1100 cabins and supported over 20 projects to facilitate scientific research in 2024. Luxury expedition company Ponant also gives scientists serious support. Its icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot has dry and wet laboratories, and a new Sea Ice Monitoring Station antenna constantly measures ice thickness in polar regions. Scientists share research in on-board talks, and guests participate in air, water and ice sample collection.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The ‘Seven Hells' of this Japanese town feel more like heaven
When the people of Beppu on Japan's steamy island of Kyushu tell you to 'go to hell', it's not an insult but a suggestion. From boiling mud pools to blood-red ponds, spouting geysers to crocodile pits, the Seven Hells of Beppu are a theatrical showcase of the island's fiery underbelly. Thanks to its position on a fault line near the active volcano Mount Tsurumi, Beppu discharges a greater volume of hot spring water than any place except Yellowstone National Park. Yet, unlike its US counterpart, Beppu's springs aren't tucked away in the wilderness. Rather, they hiss and spurt like over-boiled kettles right across the city. 'We have more than 3000 active vents,' says guide Kimiko Wakamatsu as we drive towards the urban sprawl. From a distance, it looks like the town is on fire. Up close, we see steam rising from chimneys and rooftops, through patches of lawn and cracks in garden stones. Part spa town, part post-apocalyptic film, it's like nowhere else I've been. It's day eight of our 15-day Far Eastern Horizons cruise from Hong Kong to Tokyo aboard Viking Venus, and while some guests have chosen shore excursions to soak in private hot springs, I've joined the group who are less into bubble baths and more into boiling mud. Billed as the 'thinking person's' cruise, Viking creates excursions that go beyond the familiar. For a full day in hell, I've combined a morning (optional) and an afternoon (included) tour that will take me to three of the seven underworlds. The wrath of White Pond Hell, Cooking Pot Hell, Crocodile Hell and Tornado Hell will have to wait for another visit. Our first stop is a lookout offering sweeping views of the city and Beppu Bay below, with the brooding Mount Tsurumi – the source of this restless energy – behind us. Wakamatsu tells us that on a clear day you can see smoke rising from the summit. Today, it is foggy at the top, but the lower slopes are softened by a dusting of white cherry blossoms, a world away from their showier pink cousins. 'Wild mountain cherry blossoms are lighter than cultivated varieties,' Wakamatsu says. 'It is a rare treat to see them.' We begin our descent into hell at Umi Jigoku – Sea Hell – where a broiling pool of turquoise water, shrouded in thick, white steam clouds, sits beside a red torii gate and arched bridge. While the bright blue water – tinted naturally from iron sulphate – looks inviting, at 200 metres deep and with a scalding temperature of more than 90 degrees, it would strip the skin from your bones in no time. Wakamatsu's words, not mine.
The Age
6 days ago
- The Age
The ‘Seven Hells' of this Japanese town feel more like heaven
When the people of Beppu on Japan's steamy island of Kyushu tell you to 'go to hell', it's not an insult but a suggestion. From boiling mud pools to blood-red ponds, spouting geysers to crocodile pits, the Seven Hells of Beppu are a theatrical showcase of the island's fiery underbelly. Thanks to its position on a fault line near the active volcano Mount Tsurumi, Beppu discharges a greater volume of hot spring water than any place except Yellowstone National Park. Yet, unlike its US counterpart, Beppu's springs aren't tucked away in the wilderness. Rather, they hiss and spurt like over-boiled kettles right across the city. 'We have more than 3000 active vents,' says guide Kimiko Wakamatsu as we drive towards the urban sprawl. From a distance, it looks like the town is on fire. Up close, we see steam rising from chimneys and rooftops, through patches of lawn and cracks in garden stones. Part spa town, part post-apocalyptic film, it's like nowhere else I've been. It's day eight of our 15-day Far Eastern Horizons cruise from Hong Kong to Tokyo aboard Viking Venus, and while some guests have chosen shore excursions to soak in private hot springs, I've joined the group who are less into bubble baths and more into boiling mud. Billed as the 'thinking person's' cruise, Viking creates excursions that go beyond the familiar. For a full day in hell, I've combined a morning (optional) and an afternoon (included) tour that will take me to three of the seven underworlds. The wrath of White Pond Hell, Cooking Pot Hell, Crocodile Hell and Tornado Hell will have to wait for another visit. Our first stop is a lookout offering sweeping views of the city and Beppu Bay below, with the brooding Mount Tsurumi – the source of this restless energy – behind us. Wakamatsu tells us that on a clear day you can see smoke rising from the summit. Today, it is foggy at the top, but the lower slopes are softened by a dusting of white cherry blossoms, a world away from their showier pink cousins. 'Wild mountain cherry blossoms are lighter than cultivated varieties,' Wakamatsu says. 'It is a rare treat to see them.' We begin our descent into hell at Umi Jigoku – Sea Hell – where a broiling pool of turquoise water, shrouded in thick, white steam clouds, sits beside a red torii gate and arched bridge. While the bright blue water – tinted naturally from iron sulphate – looks inviting, at 200 metres deep and with a scalding temperature of more than 90 degrees, it would strip the skin from your bones in no time. Wakamatsu's words, not mine.
The Age
20-07-2025
- The Age
Exploring Scandinavia: Jessica Rowe's Viking cruise through nordic wonders
Waking up next to the Stockholm archipelago, I pull back our cabin's curtains to reveal the soft, yellow dawn light gently pushing against the low, grey clouds. Their reflection is mirrored in the Baltic Sea, the surface swirling in a mixture of luminous gold and silvery grey, like chiaroscuro in a Rembrandt painting. 'Why are you up?' asks my mum, still snuggled under her blanket. 'This is what I'm doing, Mummo!' I say, gesturing at the fairy-tale vista from our balcony aboard the Viking Jupiter. Jessica Rowe (with her mother Penelope, left) in one of the furry hats she packed for her Scandinavian cruise. It's not long before Mum joins me, wrapped in her dressing gown. I've got mine on, too, not to mention a cream faux-fur hat. We are on the Viking Homelands Tour, a trip we've talked about for years (Scandinavia has long fascinated us both). It first weaved its magic for me when Mum passed on her passion for Viking sagas and Scandi noir novels and dramas. More recently, I've been taken with the region's fashion, licorice, pastries and fairy tales. Though neither of us is usually short of words, we're silent as we cruise past the beauty of the archipelago. Rocky outcrops make way for larger islands; small summer houses, painted red or navy, nestle among birch and pine trees. 'Look, a swan!' says Mum, pointing in the distance. Her eyesight is better than mine, so I put on my glasses. 'Oh, it's Swan Lake!' I say to Mum as more white swans come into view. Sunsets are magical in Södermalm, one of Stockholm's hippest districts. Credit: iStock Water is central to the identity of the Swedish capital. I zip a puffer over my PJs and head to the top of the ship for a panoramic view of this city of islands. In front of us is Gamla Stan, the Old Town, founded in the 13th century. Turning around, we see Södermalm, one of the city's coolest neighbourhoods. Our cruise had begun in Bergen and, before we set sail, there was a day to wander through one of Norway's oldest cities. Then, each morning during the 15-day trip, my body clock seems in sync with our port arrivals so there's no need to set the alarm. The gentle morning light guides us into ports including Eidfjord, Stavanger, Oslo, Ålborg, Copenhagen, Berlin (via Warnemünde), Bornholm, Gdansk and Tallinn. In each, we got to experience their beauty and hear their fascinating histories.
