Today is the international day for the Arctic pack ice. A bit a strange moment, as it is summer and the ice is melting rapidly. Last June had the third lowest amount of sea ice in the Arctic since satellite record started… Around Spitsbergen, it’s slightly different. In the east there is still a fair amount, most likely preventing us from circumnavigating the island.

For me, this is also the last day in the warmth of the Netherlands. Tomorrow I fly up north to Spitsbergen to board the sv Noorderlicht tomorrow. This will be the start of a year of summer and a lot of daylight for me. First I go to Spitsbergen during the time where the sun doesn’t set. When I leave in early September, the sun has just set. And when winter starts in the Netherlands in November, I’ll go way south, to have another summer in Antarctica. In both poles, I’ll be guiding expedition cruises for Oceanwide Expeditions. Between cruises, I hope to post a few things on my blog, to keep you updated and let you experience a bit of the life in the high Arctic (and Antarctic).