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    2026 EXPEDITIONS

    • South Pacific I: Auckland to Bay of Islands
    • South Pacific II: Bay of Islands to Tongatapu
    • South Pacific III: Tongatapu to Vava’u
    • Arctic: Ilulissat to Nuuk
    • Antarctica: Puerto Williams to Antarctic Peninsula and Back

    2027 EXPEDITIONS

    • Caribbean I: St Lucia to Sint Maarten
    • Caribbean II: Sint Maarten to Curaçao
    • Caribbean III: Curaçao to Aruba
    • North Pacific I: Hawaii to Vancouver
    • North Pacific II: Vancouver to Seattle

    PAST EXPEDITIONS

    • Maldives SHiFT 2023-2024
    • Round the World 2019-2021
    • North Pacific 2018
    • Round Britain 2017
    • Caribbean 2016 & 2017
    • Atlantic 2014 & 2015
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  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Team
    • Scientific Programme
    • Crew Directory
    • Sponsors & Partners
  • Expeditions
    • 2026
      • South Pacific I: Auckland to Bay of Islands
      • South Pacific II: Bay of Islands to Tongatapu
      • South Pacific III: Tongatapu to Vava’u
      • Arctic: Ilulissat to Nuuk
      • Antarctica: Puerto Williams to Antarctic Peninsula and Back
    • 2027
      • Caribbean I: St Lucia to Sint Maarten
      • Caribbean II: Sint Maarten to Curaçao
      • Caribbean III: Curaçao to Aruba
      • North Pacific I: Hawaii to Vancouver
      • North Pacific II: Vancouver to Seattle
    • Past Expeditions
      • Maldives SHiFT 2023-2024
      • Round The World 2019-2021
      • North Pacific 2018
      • Round Britain 2017
      • Caribbean 2016-2017
      • Atlantic 2014-2015
  • Get Involved
    • Apply to Join
    • Take Action
    • Watch the Film
    • Donate
  • Impact
    • Science
    • STORYTELLING
    • Ambassadors
    • Bursaries
  • News
    • Blog
    • Media Coverage
    • Track the Boat
We’re setting sail again and this time, we’re We’re setting sail again and this time, we’re island hoping through the Kingdom of Tonga! ⛵ We’ll journey from Tongatapu to Ha'apai to Vava’u, combining hands on scientific research with connecting with local communities in what is known to be one of the Pacific's most beautiful, and friendliest, island nations. Along the way, we’ll explore the remote reefs of Kelefesia and likely spot a few whales. In our visits to waste management facilities, we'll investigate the environmental challenges facing Small Island Developing States, including the impacts of the global plastic crisis on countries that contribute the least to it 🐋 🌊 We can’t wait to experience the beauty, resilience and unique ecosystems of Tonga - and to share the journey with you! A huge thank you to our partners for helping make this eXXpedition possible: Kensington: @kensingtontours UGA: @universityofga PerkinElmer: @perkinelmer Sail Seven Seas: @sailsevenseas.windshift 📸: Sophie Bolesworth #eXXpedition
Our second expedition complete, with the most incr Our second expedition complete, with the most incredible crew! ⛵️ This crew had the wildest of rides across the South Pacific - relentless winds, large swells and more than a little bit of sickseaness. And they made it, stronger than before! We’re so proud of these women.  The rough seas didn’t allow for as much water sampling as we would have liked, and a real reminder of how hard it can be to access the mid ocean where so much plastic ends up. Sampling out here is an immense challenge, let alone cleaning it up! Stopping at Minerva Reef was an absolute dream, and finishing in Nuku’alofa getting to meet passionate community members a special way to round off an certainly memorable leg of the expedition 🌍 📸: Rowan Henthorn Ellen Reynolds Natascha Fuerst Kendall Miller Jackie Nuñez #eXXpedition Thank you to our partners who have made this expedition possible, and special thanks to the Tongan Ministry of Lands, Survey, Spacial Planning & Natural Resources for hosting us!   Kensington: @kensingtontours UGA @universityofga Perkin Elmer: @perkinelmer Sail Seven Sails: @sailsevenseas.windshift
Where is eXXpedition heading to after the South Pa Where is eXXpedition heading to after the South Pacific? ⛵✨ Our all-women research missions tackling plastic pollution continue across the globe: ❄️ Arctic - The coastline of Greeland from Disko Bay to Nuuk 🐧 Antarctica - From Puerto Williams, Chile, to the Antarctica Peninsula and back 🌴 Caribbean 2027 - Island hopping from St Lucia to St Maarten, St Maarten to Curaçao, and Curaçao to Aruba 🌊 North Pacific 2027 - To the centre of the Gyre between Hawaii and Vancouver, then Vancouver to Seattle Applications are now open for the Caribbean and North Pacific expeditions (and we are currently filling the final few Antarctica spots!) Tap the link in bio to apply for 2026 - 2027 expeditions. Excited to be working with @panexplore to deliver these expeditions. #eXXpedition
Have you ever wondered what a day at sea with the Have you ever wondered what a day at sea with the eXXpedition crew actually looks like? ⛵️🌊   Here’s a day in the life - Crew Edition!   Interested in signing up for future trips? Tap the link in our bio to find out more 💙   #eXXpedition #adayinthelife
One of the highlights of the trip so far has been One of the highlights of the trip so far has been arriving at Minerva Reef – a crescent shaped safe-haven amidst miles of unrelenting ocean that otherworldly, like water rushing across the surface of Mars. Elayne, one of the crew members onboard wrote a poem about the experience: There’s a far away reef called Minerva To get to we had to sail further With plastics in mind To save all of mankind eXXpedition was on a mission to find! Read the full blog post about Minerva on our website. #eXXpedition
Wanna go grab coffee? ✨☕️ …and set sail w Wanna go grab coffee? ✨☕️ …and set sail with a group of incredible women, explore the ocean and its shores, tracing plastic back to its source ⛵ 🌊 Duh! 📸: Ellen Reynolds Bonita Baker Elayne Looker Jackie Nuñez University of Plymouth Marine Centre #eXXpedition #trend #coffee
Know an adventurous, inspiring woman who wants to Know an adventurous, inspiring woman who wants to take action for the ocean? 🌊💪 We’re looking for passionate women to join the eXXpedition crew for our future trips... Tag her below! We can’t wait to welcome new voices to our community 💙 And to apply for a future trip, tap the link in our bio to register your interest! 📸: University of Plymouth Marine Centre #eXXpedition
Our science programme was developed by Dr. Jenna J Our science programme was developed by Dr. Jenna Jambeck and her team at the @universityofga to connect the dots between plastic pollution in the ocean and land-based waste management. On land, our coastal transects and litter surveys use a standardised methodology to map and measure “escaped trash” across coastlines and communities worldwide. Using the Debris Tracker app, our crew records every visible litter item larger than 2cm within carefully measured transects – from urban roadside accumulation zones to beaches. Each item is geotagged and categorised in real time, with brand data recorded where visible. Litter and plastic fragments are also collected for FTIR polymer analysis onboard, helping trace links between land-based waste and ocean microplastics. By conducting these surveys globally following the same protocol, this gives us data that’s directly comparable across regions and over time, building evidence to support circular economy solutions, inform policy, and identify the materials most responsible for plastic leakage into the environment. #eXXpedition
Meet the incredible women sailing from Bay Islands Meet the incredible women sailing from Bay Islands to Tongatapu ✨ Onboard the second voyage of our South Pacific expedition, we have founders, scientists, ecologists, and policymakers from Oman, Austria, UK, the US and Norway. Kendall Miller (@kengmiller), Environmental Manager at FLOCEAN Ellen Reynolds (@seadisco), Marine Science & Non-Profit Leadership | supported by @driftoceansideinn Hannah Cook, Public Policy Kristin Reed Lone (@kristinlone), Industrial Ecologist Natascha Fuerst (@natascha_fuerst), CEO of @femalefounders.global Jackie Nuñez (@noplasticstraws, Founder of The Last Plastic Straw | supported by @plasticpollutes Alexandra Michalko (@alexmichalko), Director of Climate and Responsible Sourcing at @HP Bonita Baker (@Bonita.baker63), Ex-Paramedic and Pickleball Player Alexis Bennett (@sexilexi1991), US Navy Elayne Looker (@aquaw.oman), Marine Scientist And our Mission Leader: Rowan Henthorn (@ocean_row), Marine Scientist & Communicator Learn more about how each of these women use their unique superpowers to tackle the plastic crisis via link in bio. Thank you to our partners at @finisterre for the great kit! #eXXpedition
And we’re off again! 🌊 For leg two of eXXped And we’re off again! 🌊 For leg two of eXXpedition South Pacific, we’re sailing from the Bay of Islands to Tongatapu - an open ocean crossing powered by science at sea. After some land-based research, we’ll head offshore, continuously sampling for microplastics across the mid ocean. We’ll pass the biodiverse Tongan Trench, with hopes of stopping at remote Minerva Reef to explore its underwater world 🐋 We’ll finish in Nuku’alofa, continuing research on land and connecting with local partners. Follow along to see what the crew gets up to 👀💙 Want to join a future trip? Tap the link in our bio to register your interest. Thank you to our partners who have made this expedition possible: Kensington: @kensigntontours UGA @universityofga Perkin Elmer: @perkinelmer Sustainable Coastline: @sustainablecoastlines University of Auckland: @universityofauckland Sail Seven Sails: @sailsevenseas.windshift 📸: Lisa Sahney #eXXpedition
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Menu

  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Team
    • Scientific Programme
    • Crew Directory
    • Sponsors & Partners
  • Expeditions
    • 2026
      • South Pacific I: Auckland to Bay of Islands
      • South Pacific II: Bay of Islands to Tongatapu
      • South Pacific III: Tongatapu to Vava’u
      • Arctic: Ilulissat to Nuuk
      • Antarctica: Puerto Williams to Antarctic Peninsula and Back
    • 2027
      • Caribbean I: St Lucia to Sint Maarten
      • Caribbean II: Sint Maarten to Curaçao
      • Caribbean III: Curaçao to Aruba
      • North Pacific I: Hawaii to Vancouver
      • North Pacific II: Vancouver to Seattle
    • Past Expeditions
      • Maldives SHiFT 2023-2024
      • Round The World 2019-2021
      • North Pacific 2018
      • Round Britain 2017
      • Caribbean 2016-2017
      • Atlantic 2014-2015
  • Get Involved
    • Apply to Join
    • Take Action
    • Watch the Film
    • Donate
  • Impact
    • Science
    • STORYTELLING
    • Ambassadors
    • Bursaries
  • News
    • Blog
    • Media Coverage
    • Track the Boat