Science in the Land of Fire and Ice
The Science Hub on board the National Geographic Lindblad ResolutionI recently traveled to Iceland to oversee the loading and logistics for the 12 floats onboard the cruise ship National Geographic Resolution. Everything went smoothly and the floats will ride the ship through the Northwest Passage and be deployed as the ship crosses the Pacific in September and October. As a bonus, I got to join a 5-day expedition around Iceland as the ship’s visiting scientist. I had the most wonderful experience, as you might imagine!
Photo of map showing the route for this Icelandic expedition.
I introduced myself to the passengers on our first morning aboard and let everyone know they could approach me anytime and ask me anything. As a result, I talked about GO-BGC floats over meals, in the jacuzzi, on hikes, and pretty much everywhere you can imagine. I also set up shop in the awesome science hub onboard, showing off float videos on the massive screens and chatting with people as they mingled in the library and bar area.
The science hub onboard the National Geographic Lindblad Resolution. Photo by Melissa Miller.
On our first full day, we visited the tiny town of Djupavik. We got to do a hike, see a waterfall, and visit an old herring factory that is now a museum (and a filming location for the movie Justice League!). One of my favorite photos is this one, showing the waterfall through the factory’s window. We had lovely weather, my first blue sky after being in Iceland for nearly a week!
Waterfall thru the factory/museum window. Photo by Melissa Miller.
On the second day, the ship hung out in the fjords all day and I got to kayak in calm waters spotting birds and jellyfish. Before leaving that lovely spot, we got to do a polar plunge! Though the water was about 45 degrees, I wasn’t about to miss the opportunity and leapt into the water along with many of my fellow passengers. Later that day, we hiked to another waterfall, again under gorgeous blue skies. I gave a brief science talk about the float program that evening, which was rudely interrupted by breeching humpback whales as the ship left the fjords.
The National Geographic Resolution in the midst of some gorgeous scenary. Photo by Melissa Miller.
On our final full day, the ship transited back to the southern end of Iceland and we went to the island of Heimaey. The ship also transited around Surtsey Island, which formed in 1967 due to volcanic activity. We saw so much life in this area, including pods of orcas and gannets diving into the ocean, most likely attacking a baitball of fish from above and below. As we transiting back to Reykjavik, the staff started up a piano singalong and I reluctantly started packing up.
Melissa Miller taking the polar plunge.
It was an amazing experience to travel with Lindblad Expeditions and chat with their amazing, eco-minded passengers. Everything is set for a successful deployment cruise later this year and hopefully we’ll work with more National Geographic ships in the future!
– Melissa Miller