Breaking open ice—and science mysteries—in the Arctic Ocean

July 6, by Matt Shupe, [73N, 27E]:

Matt Shupe

Arrived in Tromso, Norway, a day delayed because of East Coast storms. Straight to Icebreaker Oden in Tromso harbor, via a small boat riding with a Swiss filming crew. My bag, however, did not make the full journey with me. At some point along the way it got lost in airline purgatory.  Finally after more than a day of many phone calls, the bag was located and put back into the flow. It is due to arrive in Tromso today, 3 days later than initially expected. Unfortunately we are already cruising into the Arctic Ocean.

So, we embark on a 6+ week cruise through the Arctic and I am forced into taking the ultra-minimalist approach. Left behind are all of my clothes except for those I wore on the airplane, toiletries, supplements, binoculars, camera equipment, hats, gloves, ….and all of the little things. I’m particularly bummed about a few of these: 1) IR camera: I planned to take some interesting IR photos of sea ice and ocean scenes; alas those images will have to remain in my imagination. 2) Binoculars: We anticipate wildlife along our cruise…. I may not be getting up close and personal. 3) Nicer clothes:  Sunday dinner on Oden is a time for sprucing up a bit…. I’ll be arriving in a T-shirt!  Fortunately, I was able to get ashore for a brief shopping spree yesterday morning – Norwegian Arctic style (i.e., very expensive). But I did pick up two pairs of work pants, 3 T-shirts, socks, underwear, and toiletries. Wonder what the chances are for reimbursement from the airlines?

Oden in Tromso harbor