Expedition Arctic Ocean 2026, blog post 17: Goodbye Arctic!

A few of days ago, on our way south, we saw the first real sunset of the cruise. Shortly before midnight the sun touched the horizon and rose back up from the ice. It was a stunning view, but even more interesting was the atmosphere up on the bridge. People gathering and waiting for the sunset to come. It was really heartwarming to see how many people were eager to admire nature doing its course.

Since then, we got gloomier nights. It is still not pitch black, but it gives a feeling of the day coming to an end. The Oden lights are turned on and powerful beams light up the ice in front of us. This darkness is a reminder that we are getting closer to reality. All around Oden, people are chatting and hugging like good old friends.

It is sort of a social experiment to put 70 people on a ship and send them to the end of the world. It fosters an environment where relationships grow quickly and collaboration is priority. These six weeks have been an amazing school to learn about science and how to coexist peacefully with people. Being up here is a privilege but let’s not forget that it is necessary. Climate change is warming up this region 3 to 4 times faster than global average.

But what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic: we live in a highly interconnected climate system, so whatever happens here will affect our homes too. Studying the Arctic brings us new knowledge that we can use to effectively counteract climate change and its impacts globally. Therefore we must continue to do research, despite all the challenges that come with exploring remote areas. During this expedition, we collected huge amount of valuable data that will contribute to bring our knowledge one step further.

With new perspectives and new friendships, we are ready to go back to our home universities more energized and inspired than ever. Goodbye Arctic, see you next time!