We had a full day at sea today. We have left Wrangel Island behind and have 450 nautical miles to travel to our next destination.
The wind swept across the Chukchi Sea all day. The waves and swell built a little bit, and we saw both banks of clouds and periods of sun. After an action packed three days on Wrangel Island, we welcomed a day of rest.
National Geographic photographer Corey Arnold gave the first presentation of the day. He told us about his life as a commercial fisherman in Bristol Bay, Alaska and showed samples of a photo project he has been working on for 12 years.
Next, Marylou Blakeslee told the history of USS Jeanette, a vessel that began its voyage in 1879 and ended up trapped in the sea ice near Wrangel Island. She made us extra grateful for this ship and its provisions.
After lunch we collected photographs from the biodiversity survey (called a “bioblitz”) we did as an entire ship team during our first landing on Wrangel. This is the first time a Citizen Science project has been done here. As the climate changes, this will be important data about the flora and fauna from this special reserve in the Russian Arctic.
In the afternoon, we learned about plankton from Peter Webster and Arctic communities from Jennifer Kingsley.
Luckily, the swell subsided in time for the crew show, so we could have a dance party, all together, as we sailed south to cross the Arctic Circle once again.
