Sailing to Siku

The voyage to the Last Ice Area

Sailing to the heart of the Arctic where summer sea ice is projected to last the longest.

In July and August 2012, scientists and WWF experts explored the Last Ice Area -- the northwest coast of Greenland and Canada’s High Arctic Islands. Along the way, we conducted research and spoke with local communities to fill in the knowledge gaps about this remote area.

About the Last Ice Area

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Why we sailed to Siku

“Siku” is the word for “sea ice” in Inuktitut, the language of Inuit.

As the climate warms, Arctic sea ice is disappearing. Almost every summer, the amount of remaining ice gets smaller. That summer ice is vitally important to a whole range of animals from tiny shrimp to vast bowhead whales, and to local people.

One stretch of ice is projected to remain when all other large areas of summer ice are gone. This is the Last Ice Area.

Learn more about the Last Ice Area

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Meet the voyagers

Martin von Mirbach

WWF-Canada

Martin has been involved in multi-stakeholder decision-making and conflict resolution for over twenty years, including ten years in Newfoundland and Labrador, and as chair of the committee that developed Forest Stewardship Council's Canadian Boreal Standard. He joined WWF four years ago and is Director of WWF's Canadian Arctic Program.

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Vicki Sahanatien

WWF-Canada

Vicki Sahanatien is WWF's liaison with Nunavut government and Inuit organizations and is based in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Vicki has 17 years of Arctic field experience, and is studying polar bear movements, sea ice habitat and climate change. Vicki will be introducing herself and the WWF Arctic programme to the communities of Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet.
Sophie Chollet

Researcher

Sophie is a marine scientist working on plankton. Plankton is the food base of the whole marine life. By consequence, any change in its abundance or diversity will affect invertebrates, fishes and marine mammals. She is particularly interested in the impact of climate change on Arctic ecology.
Ed Struzik

Journalist

Ed Struzik has been writing about the Arctic for the past 30 years. His articles and photographs have appeared in dozens of magazines and journals such as Canadian Geographic, Equinox, International Wildlife, Geo (Russia), Yale Environment 360, Foreign Policy Review, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and many of CanWest’s newspapers.
Mette Frost

WWF-Denmark

As project lead for the Last Ice Area project in Greenland, Mette will lead meetings with communities along the way to introduce WWF and the Last Ice Area project.

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Sascha Schiøtt

Student/translator

Born and raised in Qaqortoq, South Greenland, Sascha is a student of biology at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. Sascha will support outreach and activities in town and settlements visited en route, helping with translations from English to Greenlandic and Danish.
Thorsten Milse

Canon ambassador

Thorsten is a free-lance photographer, and official ambassador for Canon. On his travels around the world he has photographed nature, animals, plants, landscapes and culture.
Dr. Tim Dowson

Researcher

Dr. Tim Dowson is a PhD student from Durham University, United Kingdom, researching salt marsh development in high latitude Greenland, in the Disko Bugt area.

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Clive Tesar

WWF Global Arctic Programme

Clive is Head of communications for WWF's Arctic work. He grew up in Canada's Northwest Territories and spent ten years travelling the Canadian Arctic as a reporter and producer, and later worked throughout the Arctic as a communications consultant for NGOs, Indigenous peoples' organizations and governments.

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Dr Paul Wilkinson

Researcher

Dr. Wilkinson is a microbiologist studying the microscopic life of the Arctic oceans in order to understand larger macroscopic life in the Arctic.
Nick Clark and Maurice Roper

Al Jazeera English
Grant Redvers

Skipper

Prior to taking to a life at sea in the high latitudes, Grant worked as a scientist in New Zealand and at Scott Base in Antarctica. He has a Master's degree in environmental science, and is a qualified yacht skipper and dive master.

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Pascale Otis

First Mate

A talented videographer and editor, Pascale has been working in polar regions since 2000. Her goal as a biologist is to share knowledge by making science accessible to the general public.
Valentine Ribadeau Dumas

Second Mate

Valentine is the ship's Logistics and Science Manager. After graduating with a Master's degree in International Affairs and working as an auditor for a major financial company for two years, Valentine chose to change course and follow her true passion 10 years ago. She's worked for several Arctic expeditions, including the Catlin Arctic Survey.

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Sailing to Siku

The voyage to the Last Ice Area

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Latest blog posts

Final thoughts from dry land

The end of the voyage

Too many narwhals to count

Why we sailed to Siku

Meet the voyagers

Martin von Mirbach

WWF-Canada

Vicki Sahanatien

WWF-Canada

Sophie Chollet

Researcher

Ed Struzik

Journalist

Mette Frost

WWF-Denmark

Sascha Schiøtt

Student/translator

Thorsten Milse

Canon ambassador

Dr. Tim Dowson

Researcher

Clive Tesar

WWF Global Arctic Programme

Dr Paul Wilkinson

Researcher

Nick Clark and Maurice Roper

Al Jazeera English

Grant Redvers

Skipper

Pascale Otis

First Mate

Valentine Ribadeau Dumas

Second Mate

Sponsor

Partners

Critical species

Tigers

Gorilla

Giant panda

Rhinos

Elephants

Marine turtles

Key places & habitats

Amazon

Himalayas

Coral triangle

Arctic

Coastal East Africa

Borneo

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China for a Global Shift

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Forest and Climate

Green Heart of Africa

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