Two months into our two-year long mission, we have just completed Leg Four of eXXpedition Round the World from Antigua to Aruba with Red Ensign Group!
The amazing group of women onboard include a PhD Marine Scientist, a producer at National Geographic, a designer, community manager, a technology consultant, a photographer and marine toxicologist and environmentalist entrepreneurs.
Photo credit: Jamie Colman & eXXpedition
Their journey began with a confronting visit to the National Solid Waste Management Authority, with a glaring juxtaposition between paradise and piles of waste. Read about their experience and learnings on our blog.
Photo credit: Emma Feggetter & eXXpedition
After what they experienced on the first day, the crew were keen to get the science started right away and conducted sediment sampling at sunrise, followed by the CAP survey in partnership with the University of Georgia.
Photo credit: Jamie Colman & eXXpedition
Our multidisciplinary all-female crew set sail from Antigua on Sunday, 1 December. Thanks to favourable weather along the Caribbean Sea, the crew were able to collect several samples across different layers of the ocean, and unfortunately they are finding microplastics across all layers. Read more about the scientific protocol on our crew blog.
Photo credit: Jamie Colman & eXXpedition
During their stop in Bonaire, the crew went snorkeling and conducted an underwater cleanup with our local partners GoodDive at DiveFriends Bonaire, helping collect data for Project Aware – logging everything from bottle tops to pieces of carpets and clothing to remnants of a shoe heel!
Photo credit: Emma Feggetter & eXXpedition
The underwater session was followed by a community talk where our crew shared their firsthand experience at sea. Once in Aruba, they visited the Plastic Beach Party to learn about recycling and how they turn PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, PLA, PC and ABS into re-usable products.
Photo credit: Jamie Colman & eXXpedition
After experiencing and learning about the challenges around the plastic pollution crisis while also exploring the opportunities to solve it, the women onboard Leg 4 shared their personal stories and insights to a sold-out crowd of over 100 people at the International School of Aruba, an event organised in partnership with the Impact Blue Foundation. The Minister for the Environment and Governor of Aruba were amongst the audience in attendance.
Photo credit: Jamie Colman & eXXpedition
In Bonaire, our mission leader Sally Earthrowl gave an interview to NOS TV Bonaire, and leading up to our arrival the Prime Minister of Aruba, Evelyn Wever-Croes shared her support for our mission, meeting Sally in person.
Photo credit: Jamie Colman & eXXpedition
The final voyage of 2019 will begin this Thursday, 12 December as the Leg 5 crew set sail from Aruba to Panama, via Kuna Yala.
