Latest news with #RoaldAmundsen
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
British aircraft carrier group to visit Japan
A British aircraft carrier strike group is set to visit eastern Japan for three weeks from next Tuesday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said. The aircraft carrier the Prince of Wales, the destroyer the Dauntless and the Norwegian frigate the Roald Amundsen are all slated to make a port call in Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, the ministry said Friday in a press release. The Prince of Wales will move to Tokyo on Aug. 28 and stay there until Sept. 2, while the Roald Amundsen will make a four-day stay in the capital from Aug. 19, the ministry said. Japan remains "committed to proactively contributing to regional peace and stability in close coordination with like-minded partners" including Britain and Norway, the ministry said. It will be the second such British naval visit, as Japan hosted an aircraft carrier strike group in 2021 led by the Queen Elizabeth, according to the ministry. Japan and Britain, both U.S. allies, have been boosting their defense collaboration including a trilateral project with Italy to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet by 2035. © KYODO
Forbes
03-08-2025
- Forbes
Why The Northwest Passage Is A Once-In-A-Lifetime Adventure
The Northwest Passage is a route brimming with history, intrigue, and challenge. Spanning 900 miles from Baffin Island all the way to the Beaufort Sea, it weaves through an archipelago of some 36,000 islands and shifting sea ice above the Arctic Circle. It's so remote and difficult to navigate that the Passage wasn't fully crossed until 1906, when Roald Amundsen first established it. Since then, reports Boat International, more people have stood on the summit of Everest than have traversed the Northwest Passage by sea. The full passage is only free enough from sea ice to sail for a four-to-six-week window starting in mid-August. And even in that window, ice and weather can be unpredictable. Accurate sea and ocean floor charts still don't exist in some of the remote spots up here. The Canadian Arctic is home to polar bears, the biggest land-based predator in existence. And thirty to forty different permits—for each passenger—are required between the different communal, regional, and federal departments with jurisdiction along the route. All of this is what makes an expedition through the Northwest Passage a once-in-lifetime adventure. It's also why taking that journey with an experienced expedition cruise ship operator is almost the only way to do it—so much so that people who normally wouldn't vacation aboard a traditional cruise ship will take an expedition cruise to see the Northwest Passage. Still on the fence? Here's are a few reasons to take an expedition cruise through this remote and dramatic part of the world. Rich Culture — Experienced Sensitively This reason is specific to Adventure Canada, and what makes this company a standout among the expedition operators in the region. Most expedition cruises through the Northwest Passage will launch from the west coast of Greenland to head through the Canadian Arctic. Both regions are home to communities of Greenlandic and Canadian Inuit. And where most operators tend to employ one Inuit cultural educator per Greenland and Canada permit requirements, says Wayne Broomfield, a cultural educator with Adventure Canada from Labrador, Adventure Canada's expedition crew often includes more than a dozen. Backlash against cruise ship tourism in hotspot destinations has dominated recent headlines. The descending of tourists en masse in a few-hour blitz often feels voyeuristic and transactional on both the parts of community members and passengers, and often many sectors of those over-visited communities don't see much financial benefit from it. Inuit towns in the Arctic (logistically difficult to travel to unless you're on a cruise ship) are no exception. From the beginning of a voyage, before even landing in a community, Adventure Canada cultural educators help passengers prepare for and process community visits, both the harmful and good aspects. They give presentations ranging from mythology and art to how to harvest marine mammals for subsistence, lead hikes while telling stories, and sit down with any passengers who want to talk. It's essentially a floating version of spending the quality time at a destination that usually results in more rewarding cultural immersion—and a welcome model in an era where the need for more sustainable cultural interactions is increasingly entering the travel discourse. History For over four hundred years, European and American explorers tried to find a commercially viable Northwest or Northeast Passage through the Arctic to East Asia. Many failed, with sea ice blocking ships' progress or freezing them in place. Few are more infamous than the 1845 British Expedition of Sir John Franklin. After the crew's last letters were sent home from the coast of Greenland, Franklin's two ships, the Erebus and the Terror, were last sighted by whalers off Baffin Island. And then both ships just vanished, along with all one hundred and twenty souls aboard. Lady Jane Franklin pressured the British Admiralty to send several expeditions to search for them. They turned up only three lonely graves on Beechey Island and then, some years later, an ominous note in a pile of rocks that several men had died, including Franklin himself, and the rest were heading south. They were never found. By 1854, Britain declared all men from the expedition to be deceased. A Northwest Passage trip, weather and sea ice permitting, often includes a stop on Beechey Island, where the graves and their markers still remain. Adventure An expedition-style cruise is far different from a traditional cruise. Volatile weather and changing sea ice means that no itineraries are set in stone. Expedition crews are often leading Zodiac cruises or landing for hiking excursions in places none of them have ever been before, giving an exceptionally adventurous feel to outings. And because this is polar bear territory, advance crews of bear guards armed with flares and rifles scout the area first, and serve as advance watches on hikes. Polar bear tracks show up in the sand on beaches, sometimes closely followed by Arctic fox tracks. And it's not just tracks to be viewed. A Northwest Passage trip is likely to offer up at least one polar bear sighting (although it can range from zero sightings to a dozen or more). There's little that compares with the opportunity to watch the most massive predator on land amble across a slope, sit on the sea ice poised to dive for a seal hunt, or hop from ice floe to ice floe. The Takeaway For travelers looking for a once-in-a-lifetime expedition full of adventure, history, and culture, a Northwest Passage trip should be high on the list. Even for those who don't consider themselves 'cruise ship' travelers.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA satellite sees sea ice crack apart in Canada
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA satellites looked down on huge cracks forming in sea ice in Canada's far north. The Amundsen Gulf is named after Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer who, in the early 1900s, embarked on a voyage into the Northwest Passage, a winding narrow passage through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Amundsen was hoping to use the Northern Passage as a shortcut, reducing travel time, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. After facing several hazards, his ship and crew successfully emerged from the passage, becoming the first people to successfully navigate the dangerous terrain. Amundsen's ship, called the Gjøa, was only crewed by six men, all of whom helped conduct meteorological observations while sailing. The Amundsen Gulf lies in the Northwest Territories of Canada. While Roald Amundsen and his crew paved the way for other ships to navigate the Northern Passage, the route still poses dangers for ships due to the shifting sea ice. Seasonal changes can cause sea ice to melt and break apart, drifting in the cold arctic waters. While this in itself may not be necessarily dangerous, if the sea ice accumulates enough, it can create "choke points" that block ships from sailing through. In this image, taken by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA's Terra satellite, much of the sea ice is still "fastened" to the coastline, but other chunks have migrated into the Beaufort Sea. This ice break up will continue for several months as warmer temperatures and wind help to crack apart the thick arctic ice. The cycle usually begins in March 2025, according to NASA's Earth Observatory You can read more about sea ice levels in the arctic as satellites like Terra and other continue to observe Earth's many beautiful structures.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Tromsø, Norway: the Capital of the Arctic
Tromsø may be remote, located on a small island 344 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. But during the 19th century, visitors called it the Paris of the North. Finely dressed gentlemen strolled past grand townhouses. They owed their prosperity to the port, where merchant ships were loaded with fish, blubber and other wares. Nowadays you're more likely to see people in Tromsø wearing waterproof outdoor jackets. Hikers and skiers use the city as a base for exploring the region and climbing the mountains on the nearby island of Senja or in the Lyngen Alps, which reach heights of over 1,800 metres. Kayakers come to paddle through the Sommarøy archipelago. And during the peak winter season, tourists from all over the world, in particular East Asia, come to Tromsø to see the Northern Lights and whales, and to glide through the snow on dog sleds. What's Tromsø like outside of the winter season? It's a great destination for a city break - especially around mid-May, when the sun doesn't set and remains visible at night. Here are some recommendations for culture, gastronomy and outdoor activities: Culture: Tromsø's museums showcase the city's Arctic heritage The Polar Museum, located in a historic wooden house by Tromsø's harbour, may be rather stuffy and old-fashioned, but the photos, exhibits and anecdotes from Fridtjof Nansen's and Roald Amundsen's polar expeditions still fascinate to this day. The exhibition on the hunters who spent the winter on Svalbard and killed reindeer, seals, arctic foxes and polar bears spares no gory detail. The Polaria Arctic Experience Centre, located in a building modelled on ice floes, is much more than a museum. At the end of 2023, the exhibition was updated in line with recent findings on climate change. Displays include the teeth of a Greenland shark and a thecosomata or sea butterfly, whose calcified shell dissolves in the increasingly acidic sea. The panoramic cinema with a curved screen shows documentaries about the Northern Lights and the Svalbard archipelago. There is an open tank that's home to Northern species such as the spotted wolffish and halibut, while aquariums house starfish and translucent moon jellyfish. You can watch bearded seals and harbour seals as they hunt and pirouette through the green water. Feeding time is popular with the animals and visitors alike. Gastronomy: Nordic beer and computer games for afters Another landmark is Raketten Bar, the city's oldest kiosk located on Storgata, the main pedestrian street behind the harbour. Opened in 1911 by Margit Løkke, then 18, she sold newspapers, tobacco and fruit from the tiny pavilion for a quarter of a century. The kiosk survived a fire that burned down dozens of surrounding houses, as Siri Therese Lier, 51, a former tour guide and current owner of the Raketten Bar, explains. Lier wants to keep the famous snack stand exactly as it used to look. In the winter she sells 350 hot dogs on some days, with customers waiting in line for up to an hour. It's like the United Nations, Lier says. "People from all over the world come here and chat over food." Her bestseller is a reindeer and pork sausage, and there's also a vegan version. If you're feeling peckish, you can head to the tiny restaurant Burgr for great hamburgers with names like Super Mario and Bowser. One of the walls is covered with Nintendo and Atari video game posters, and on the Commodore 64 computer next to it, you can play an old game with a joystick. It's pure video game nostalgia for generation X and Y (millennials) in the Arctic. Tromsø is also home to some wonderful fish restaurants - you just have to be able to afford them. You can get a fish soup or fish and chips for a reasonable price at Dragøy, a restaurant inside Kystens Mathus, a modern addition to the Tromsø cityscape with a black facade. You can sit outside, directly at the water's edge. And if you're looking for a caffeine fix after your meal, stroll over to Kaffebønna, the city's oldest espresso café on the main square, Stortorget. If you fancy it, you can order a cinnamon bun from the adjoining bakery. From the outdoor tables you have a view of the harbour, the curved Tromsø Bridge and the Arctic Cathedral on the other side of the water. With its glass facade and white tiered roof, it's one of the city's most recognisable landmarks. You can also quench your thirst for beer. The Mack brewery, one of the northernmost in the world, was founded in 1877 by the German Ludwig Mack. At the Ølhallen pub next door, which features exposed brick walls and a vaulted wooden ceiling, historical photos on the walls and a stuffed polar bear, you can choose from 72 different beers. There are guided tours and brewing seminars which promise: "At the end of the course you'll know enough to be able to brew your own beer!" Outdoors: Hiking, paddling and a floating spa The best way to digest your meal and get a view of the city is to climb Tromsø's local mountain, Storsteinen. The 1,300 stone steps of the Sherpa trail take you to the mountain ledge, 421 metres above sea level. Alternatively, you can take the Fjellheisen cable car. Tromsø, the fjords and the mountain ranges on the horizon - you can see it all from the terrace of the mountain station. Follow the winding hills up the meadow slope and it's a half-hour walk to the next summit. Fløya mountain offers even more stunning views. At the top you're likely to meet mountain bikers who come up here to wind down after work. If you've worked up a sweat after your bike ride or hike, you might want to think twice about cooling off in Telegrafbukta (Telegraph Bay). Even in August, the warmest month of the year in Tromsø, the water in the popular bay in the southwest of the city never gets warmer than 10 degrees Celsius, and in May temperatures remain in the single digits. But the view of the bay, which you can reach by taking bus 33 or walking three kilometres from the city centre, is always beautiful. The water is clear, shimmering in turquoise. Beyond the fjord are the mountains, which are covered in snow all year round. You see students playing beach volleyball; Tromsø is the northernmost university town in the world. Families barbecue in the wooded area next to it. A visit during the period of the midnight sun, when the sun doesn't set between the May 20 and July 22, is an extra special experience. Everyone is full of energy and in party mode, cycling, hiking and going on picnics until late into the night. Or head out onto the fjord on the floating spa: On the former fishing boat "Vulkana" there is a sauna with a panorama window, a Turkish hammam with a cold pool and a wood-fired whirlpool on the deck. You can also book a midnight cruise that takes you through Tromsø's stunning fjords.
Chicago Tribune
23-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Retracing the snowy footsteps of my ancestors, who traveled to Antarctica before it became commonplace
The chance to travel to the farthest corner of the planet, the Antarctic continent, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most people. It's the last frontier on Earth, a place where explorers such as Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen became legends. But for me, the trip to Antarctica followed in the snowy footsteps of my relatives, who traveled there decades earlier, long before civilian travel became commonplace. 'We expect to be docking about noon. Here the Pacific, the Strait of Magellan, and the Atlantic will be surrounding the Tierra del Fuego area. We are sailing along snow-tipped mountain ranges toward Antarctica. Our first sightings have been spectacular.' These aren't my words, or even the diaries of a polar explorer, but those of my grandmother Sara Eubanks, who traveled to what is called the white continent in January 2003 in celebration of my grandfather Robert's 70th birthday. They traveled with Holland America, flying from our hometown of Atlanta to Miami and then on to Santiago and Valparaiso in Chile before boarding the ship that would take them to the ends of the earth. Even before that, my great-grandfather traveled to Antarctica in 1989, snapping photos at Palmer Station, the year-round United States research station. My grandparents are responsible for my love of travel. Some of my earliest memories were of picking them up at the airport with my father, eager to hear stories and see what souvenirs they brought my siblings and me. My grandparents didn't start traveling until their children had all left the nest; but then they hit the ground — and air — running, eventually reaching every continent. Visiting a place they traveled together is nothing new for me. In my decadelong career as a writer, I've followed their tracks across the globe, from the outback of Australia to the cathedrals of Germany. And in 2024, I was able to reach the seventh continent myself, alongside my sister Sammi, another generation to make the journey south. We flew to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city where most Antarctic cruises depart from. Then we traveled aboard the 148-passenger National Geographic Explorer with Lindblad Expeditions, named for Lars-Eric Lindblad, who in 1966 launched the Antarctic cruise industry. I carried my grandmother's journal alongside my own, feeling the importance of the experience through her words. She's still a consummate record keeper, just like me, with drawers full of notebooks like these. They became all the more treasured after my grandfather's death a few years ago. We both wrote about the majesty of the icebergs as they came into view from our cabin windows, some as big as buildings, and heard about the history of the continent from the people who studied at the various research stations. I wondered how much of what I was seeing matched up with her own experiences, despite the decades of climate change that have affected the icy region. Unlike on her trip, my sister and I were actually able to step foot on the carefully protected islands. Perhaps the best part of the trip was coming home and telling my grandmother all about it: the colonies of chinstrap and gentoo penguins we saw up close, the volcanic shores of the former whaling station at Deception Island, and the adrenaline-inducing polar plunge, followed by a warming Negroni from my favorite onboard bartender, Pete. A trip to the otherworldly deserts and icy landscapes of Antarctica is difficult to describe. You'll never see quite so much untouched wilderness or the range of fauna, including several species of penguins and whales. And you'll join a special club of people who have been there. I could say this club is small, but that's becoming less true with every passing year, especially since pandemic travel restrictions eased. According to the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators, the governing tourism body with 52 member operators, the past year saw over 40,000 cruise-only passengers, over 80,000 land visitors to land, and over 700 so-called deep field visitors who travel to the interior of the continent. And while my relatives waited until they were older, the demographics of visitors are also starting to change. On my trip, I was surrounded by people in their 30s and 40s, all crossing off the elusive seventh continent from their list. The cost remains fairly prohibitive but many travelers are looking to experience it at a younger age. My trip had the option to fly over the famously rough waters of the Drake Passage on DAP, the airline serving the continent since 1989, which allows more people to travel directly to King George Island in Antarctica. We opted for the flight on our return trip. There are also increasingly more land-based expeditions such as White Desert, a series of luxury glamping trips with private flights and fine dining, which start at about $16,000 for one night and run up to $110,000 for seven to eight nights. Another company, Runbuk Inc., holds an Ice Marathon on the continent. When it comes to choosing an operator, I suggest using IAATO members, who are required to follow strict protocols to protect the delicate ecosystem. Conditions in Antarctica are changing constantly and ship landings must be scheduled well in advance. A certain level of flexibility is required, especially for those prone to seasickness. Travelers can't be beholden to their bucket list as there are some experiences you won't even know to add to the list until you arrive. What's most important is to take it all in: the place, its majesty and its importance. Like my family, you will come away with a lifetime's worth of memories.
