If you’d asked me a month ago what I’d be doing this week, “sailing 800 kilometres from Ilulissat to Nuuk on a 72-foot yacht with seven remarkable women” probably wouldn’t have made the list.
Neither would “wearing the same clothes for a week.”
Or eating beans with quite such enthusiasm.
Or discovering that in Greenland you can be on the midnight watch… in broad daylight.
Welcome to life aboard an eXXpedition.
Our mission is serious. We’re collecting samples from the surface of the ocean, beaches and coastal communities to help scientists understand how microplastics are travelling, even to one of the most remote places on Earth.
Photo credit: Katy Bear Nalven
But life on board is anything but serious.
Luxury? Well… let’s just say showers have become a distant memory. I have even reached the stage of doing an artic plunge just to qualify for a hot shower!!
Dinner on the boat is state of the art nutrition. When you’ve spent the day launching scientific equipment into icy seas, everything tastes delicious. Besides, beans are environmentally friendly… although perhaps not in the confined space of a yacht.
Then there are the night watches. Back home, a night watch conjures images of darkness and stars. Here, in the Arctic summer, it’s broad daylight at two in the morning. Your body has absolutely no idea what time it is, but your watch insists you’re on duty.
Somewhere between searching for thermals and mislaid sun cream ( yes a true artic just position ) and trying not to spill precious samples, AND admiring yet another breathtaking iceberg, it struck me why I’d wanted to join this expedition.
I’ve spent much of my career helping people understand the importance of prevention in health. We encourage healthier eating before diabetes develops, exercise before heart disease, and protecting our brains long before memory starts to fail.
Out here, we’re doing exactly the same thing for our planet.
Microplastics are almost invisible. If we were pulling shopping trolleys or plastic bottles out of the sea every few minutes, everyone would understand the problem immediately. Instead, we’re looking for fragments smaller than a grain of rice—tiny pieces that quietly travel on ocean currents, reaching places that seem impossibly wild and untouched.
Photo credit: Katy Bear Nalven
Greenland is breathtaking. Towering icebergs drift silently past, whales occasionally make guest appearances, and the landscape reminds you just how extraordinary our planet is.
Yet even here, the evidence of our throwaway culture can be found.
Perhaps that’s why this journey feels so important.
Prevention is rarely glamorous. Whether it’s collecting microscopic particles from the ocean, encouraging someone to lower their blood sugar, or persuading people to use one less piece of single-use plastic, the rewards aren’t immediate. They come years later.
As we sail towards Nuuk, slightly smellier than when we left, fuelled by beans, endless conversation and a stunning amount of laughter, I’m reminded that meaningful change often starts with small actions.
Tiny particles.
Tiny habits.
Tiny decisions.
They all add up.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time for my night watch… in glorious sunshine.
Photo credit: Katy Bear Nalven
