THE ROUTE

Our journey took us from Portland in Dorset, east along the English Channel and on into the North Sea. From here the ship continued north passing the Norwegian coast then up into the Arctic Circle and on to the island group of Svalbard.

Scientific work commenced almost the moment we cast off from Portland, with water samples being brought onboard to look for microscopic marine life. We also kept a look out for whales, dolphins and seabirds as we headed north.

The ship's progress was updated daily in the blog and descriptions of sea state and sea ice were included. Data on sea ice were fed to the ship daily so that the Captain and scientific leader (Ray Leakey) could determine a navigable route around northern Svalbard.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ACTUAL EXPEDITION ROUTE AROUND SVALBARD

 OUR CRUISE BLOG

This expedition is unique - for the first time we've had someone onboard to document everyday life and the scientific discoveries we made. Each day - ice and polar storms permitting - there was news from the ship in Laila's Cruise blog: stories of the science, of the sea conditions and of life onboard a research ship working in the Arctic. As we set off from England our sampling stations were still locked in ice north of Svalbard. Our arrival there revealed that ice was far more widespread than in previous years and the scientific observations this year by other sea ice researchers have revealed why.

You can still read the blogs for daily information on life aboard...

THE SHIP

We are fortunate to have been on the very best of British research vessels - the RRS James Clark Ross (named after the 19th Century naval explorer of both the Arctic and Antarctic). Onboard is everything the dedicated scientist dreams of - a laboratory, cranes and winches for moving gear in and out of the sea, satellite communications, comfortable cabins, and even a gym. The vessel is owned by the British Antarctic Survey and, during Southern winter when conditions in the Antarctic are at their worst, the James Clark Ross returns to Britain for refit before continuing north to support summer research in the Arctic.

The ship's crew consists of three departments:

• Catering
• Deck and
• Engineering

The ship also carries a doctor whenever she heads into a remote region. The current doctor is not only a surgeon by training but has also done a seven month intensive course in emergency medicine.