Arctic Climate Expedition 23 Jun - 5 Jul 2025
You can be a catalyst for change. A Changemaker - leave a lasting legacy by applying to join the prestigious BIG ACE project. As a member of an elite team, you will have the opportunity to give your voice and expertise to the noble mission of safeguarding the high Arctic Wilderness, ensuring a healthy ocean planet for generations to come. Seize this chance to make a meaningful difference and be an advocate for a sustainable and secure future.
Call for Applications
“BIG ACE - THE BEARS, ICE, GLACIERS, ARCTIC CLIMATE EXPEDITION, JUNE 2025”
AN EPIC CLIMATE CHANGER PROJECT BY OCEAN GEOGRAPHIC CELEBRATING DR SYLVIA EARLE'S 90TH
About the Expedition
'BIG ACE - the Bears, Ice, Glaciers, Arctic Climate Expedition, June 2025' is a monumental project conceived by Ocean Geographic to celebrate the cumulative achievements of Dr. Sylvia Earle. 2025 is Sylvia’s 90th birthday year. This epic project calls for an assembly of 110 global citizens on a mission to the Arctic, the frontlines of climate change. Each participant, a change-maker in their own right, contributes their unique expertise to the collective cause of giving voice to the imperilled polar bears, walruses, Ivory gulls, puffins, glaciers, and sea ice threatened by climate change.
Their united narratives aim to draw global attention to the Arctic's dire circumstances, with a singular objective – to change the current course of carbon emissions and avert catastrophic consequences. The Arctic, where warming occurs at a rate four to five times greater than the global average, undergoes exponential degradation. The loss of multi-year sea ice, thawing permafrost, and melting glaciers are now wreaking havoc on the planet, leading to species extinction, rising sea levels, and a diminished quality of life.
BIG ACE serves as the nexus where individuals from all walks of life, spanning age groups, cultures, nationalities, talents, expertise, and genders, converge to witness the Arctic's breathtaking beauty and fragility. United by passion, beliefs, and knowledge in ocean-related matters, these changemakers collaborate to advocate for the conservation and preservation of our shared natural heritage.
You can be part of this pivotal Arctic summit to save our environment for future generations.
What sets BIG ACE apart from other polar expeditions:
The heart of the BIG ACE mission lies in fostering a collective appreciation of our planet's fragility and beauty, as participants from diverse backgrounds and expertise converge to advocate for the conservation and protection of our natural resources. Through a blend of first-person narratives and expert insights, the initiative seeks to amplify the voices of nature, inspiring a global movement toward environmental stewardship and sustainable living.
Guided by experts, the changemakers will witness climate change perils in motion during the June 2025 expedition. They will then share their experiences and stories with the global communities. This approach empowers younger generations to take action and encourages informed choices to address climate crises. BIG ACE's narratives aim to eliminate barriers to education and contribute significantly to science and social media communication. The expedition will produce mini-series films, music, fine arts, city exhibitions, reports, lectures, photography, books, and educational materials.
Distinct from conventional polar expeditions, BIG ACE stands out in its commitment to accessibility, mobilization, and inclusivity. By leveraging a variety of multimedia platforms, including films, music, art exhibitions, educational materials, and more, the project endeavours to engage a wide audience, instigating meaningful conversations and spurring action to safeguard the planet for future generations.
Focus: BIG ACE offers firsthand experience and knowledge of the climate crisis to a broader audience, fostering greater mobilization.
Team: This expedition isn't confined to scientists and researchers; it comprises global citizens from various professional backgrounds, making the narrative and action plans relatable, compelling, and diverse.
Access: The products from BIG ACE aim to speak for the wilderness of the Arctic and engage a wide audience, ensuring accessibility and inspiring action to protect our natural world. This unites humanity in the endeavour to preserve our existence and that of our ocean planet.
Organized by the Ocean Geographic Society of OceanNEnvironment Ltd aboard the MV Sylvia Earle, an expedition ship operated by the carbon-neutral company Aurora Expeditions, BIG ACE pays homage to Dr Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue and Time Magazine's first Hero of the Planet
Expedition Route
The route for the BIG ACE High Arctic Odyssey begins from 78°N Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and navigates northward, to go beyond 80°N in pursuit of the remaining Arctic ice shelf. Weather permitting, the journey proceeds eastward towards Kritoya, circling around Austfonna, one of the largest glaciers on the planet.
The primary objective of this extraordinary expedition is to encounter and observe a diverse range of Arctic wildlife, including polar bears, walruses, puffins, ivory gulls, reindeer, and Arctic foxes, as well as the awe-inspiring sights of sea ice platforms and calving glaciers. Notably, Svalbard is home to an astounding 2100 glaciers, contributing to an unparalleled natural spectacle.
Throughout this remarkable voyage, the expedition team will witness firsthand the impact of the climate crisis in the high Arctic environment, with invaluable insights provided by seasoned naturalists and climate science experts.
The Arctic Climate Expedition (BIG ACE)
EXPEDITION SHIP: The Sylvia Earle
VOYAGE: Arctic Circle
EMBARK: Longyearbyen
DISEMBARK: Longyearbyen
CHARTER FLIGHT: OSLO-LYR-OSLO
DURATION: 13 days / 10 nights (10 voyage days, 3-day Oslo pre-voyage)
START DATE: 23 June 2025 (3 nights at Radisson Red Oslo)
EMBARKATION: 26 June 2025
DISEMBARKATION: 5 July 2025
Expedition Ship - The Sylvia Earle
Our expedition ship was newly built in 2022 and is named in honour of Dr Sylvia Earle herself. This purpose-built vessel was designed for Aurora Expeditions Australia to enable expeditions to even the most remote places on earth.
Its revolutionary ULSTEIN X-BOW® allows the ship to cross oceans more comfortably and efficiently, and with expansive observation decks. The Sylvia Earle offers the perfect base camp for adventures at the outer limits of human exploration and accommodates an average of 132 expeditioners per voyage within 70 comfortable cabins. The ship also features a modern lecture lounge, a science centre, multiple observation areas, Zodiac launching platforms, a restaurant serving exquisite meals, a gym and wellness centre, Jacuzzis, a mudroom and many other amenities.
PRE-EXPEDITION: tba
STAGING HOTEL: Radison Red, Oslo
POST-EXPEDITION: tba
The Expedition package compromises:
23 June Arrival in Oslo.
24-25 Pre Expedition Conferance
26 June Fly to Longyearbyen and Embark the Sylvia Earle
26 June - 5 July on The Sylvia Earle
5 July - Disembark Sylvia Earle and Fly back to Oslo
Inclusions:
- Transfer from airport to hotel on Day 1.
- Three night’s hotel accommodation including breakfast, in Oslo on Day 1-3.
- Sightseeing tour of Longyearbyen on Day 4, prior to embarkation (time permitting).
- Transfer from pier to airport in Longyearbyen on Day 13.
- Return charter flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen.
- Onboard accommodation during voyage, including daily cabin service.
- All meals, snacks, tea and coffee during voyage.
- Beer, house wine and soft drinks with dinner.
- Captain’s Farewell reception including four-course dinner, house cocktails, house beer and wine, non-alcoholic beverages.
- All shore excursions and Zodiac cruises.
- Educational lectures and guiding services provide by Expedition Team.
- Complimentary access to onboard expedition doctor and medical clinic (initial consultation).
- One 3-in-1 waterproof, polar expedition jacket.
- Complimentary use of Muck Boots during the voyage.
- Comprehensive pre-departure information.
About Dr Sylvia Earle
Dr Sylvia Earle, a Rolex Testimonee fondly referred to as Her Deepness, is the recipient of more than 100 national and international honours and awards. These include being named Time Magazine’s first Hero of the Planet, a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2014, UNEP Champion of the Earth, Glamour Magazine’s 2014 Woman of the Year, member of the Netherlands Order of the Golden Ark, and winner of 2009 TED Prize, the Walter Cronkite Award, the 1996 Explorers Club Medal, the Royal Geographic Society 2011 Patron’s Medal and the National Geographic 2013 Hubbard Medal.
Sylvia was the first woman to become chief scientist of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is currently President and Chairperson of Mission Blue and the Sylvia Earle Alliance.
Known as the mother of our world’s oceans, she is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with an insatiable passion for underwater exploration and marine conservation. Sylvia still currently holds the record for a solo dive to an astonishing depth of 1,005 metres into the deep sea.
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