Tag: Northwest Passage

The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) informs that the ''Guidances on Arctic Navigation in the Northwest Route'' were issued in April providing hydrographic, meteorological, obstacle, waterway navigation, navigation facility, salvage services, port services, and other security guarantees information on the Arctic geographical environment and northwest route.

China announced plans for ships under its flag to use a faster Arctic route which will be 30 percent shorter than the ocean passages traditionally used to connect the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Panama Canal. Global warming has made the northwest route more navigable. Once this route is commonly used, it will directly change global maritime transportation.

Rutter Inc.has announced that Crystal Cruises has selected the sigma S6 Small Target Surveillance (STS) and Ice Navigator™ systems for the planned Arctic summer cruise in 2016 of the Crystal Serenity. This summer's voyage will be the world's first luxury cruise liner to sail from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean via the Canadian Northwest Passage.

COSCO and ABS have signed cooperation agreement to expand COSCO’s use of the Northeast Passage for more regular trading, explore navigation in Northwest Passage, and develop ice-classed vessel types appropriate for Trans-Arctic shipping. The parties will begin by establishing a cooperative initiative on Arctic Shipping Technology Development.

 According to a new research conducted by the York University,  sea ice in the Northwest Passage remains too thick and treacherous for it to become a regular commercial Arctic shipping route for many decadesPrior to this research, there was little information about the thickness of sea ice in the Northwest Passage, which meanders through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Yet, next to ice coverage and type, sea ice thickness plays the most important role in assessing shipping hazards and predicting ice break-up.“While everyone only looks at ice extent or area, because it is so easy to do with satellites, we study ice thickness, which is important to assess overall changes of ice volume, and helps to understand why and where the ice is most vulnerable to summer melt,” says lead researcher Christian Haas, professor of geophysics in the Lassonde School of Engineering and Canada Research Chair for Arctic Sea Ice Geophysics.The research paper, “Ice Thickness in the Northwest Passage,” was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.Haas and his team, including Stephen Howell of Environment Canada, measured first-year and multiyear ice thickness in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago using an airplane equipped with an electromagnetic induction sounder or “EM” bird. They surveyed the ...

 French cruise line PONANT has just completed a first in the history of navigation, as two of its sister-ships, Le Boréal and Le Soléal, have just crossed the legendary Northwest Passage from Greenland in the east to Siberia in the west. Having achieved a first for France in 2013, PONANT has pulled off a world first with two of its ships crossing the passage three days apart on the historic explorers’ route via the Bellot Strait.This latest achievement is the culmination of more than 15 years’ experience sailing in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.“It is with great pride that we announce this crossing under the French flag, unique in international maritime history,” says Jean-Emmanuel Sauvée, Chief Executive Officer of PONANT.Captains Etienne Garcia and Patrick Marchesseau on Le Boréal and Le Soléal ensured their passengers were able to take full advantage of an extraordinary experience aboard these two luxury yachts.Designed to sail in extreme regions, each has 132 staterooms and suites and have obtained the international “CLEANSHIP” label (Bureau Veritas) for their innovative green equipments. Along the voyage through the narrow channels and shifting glaciers of this little known region, they explored historic landmarks like Beechey Island of Franklin expedition fame, Gjoa Haven ...

Leading representatives from SAR Organisations in Canada and trustees of the IMRF have met to discuss the challenges in the area

The Bering Strait is the only marine connection between the Chukchi Sea and Arctic Ocean to the north and the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean to the south. Just 55 miles wide, the Strait separates Alaska to the west and Russia to the east. The Bering Strait is a biological hotspot. Millions of seabirds and hundreds of thousands of marine mammals use the Strait as a migratory corridor, and the Bering and Chukchi Seas are one of the most productive ocean ecosystems in the world. It is also noted that vessel traffic through the Bering Strait is growing. Earlier this year, an American company revealed plans to sail a luxury cruise ship from Seward, Alaska to New York City in 2016, using the fabled Northwest Passage. More recently, a Canadian company announced its intent to ship a cargo of nickel concentrate from northern Canada to China, also via the Northwest Passage. In addition to increasing interest in using the Northwest Passage north of Canada, traffic on the Northern Sea Route north of Russia is growing. As vessel traffic increases, so too does the potential for adverse environmental impacts to the Bering Strait region. These impacts could include more pollution, ship ...

The Bering Strait is the only marine connection between the Chukchi Sea and Arctic Ocean to the north and the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean to the south