This winter, we made a frigid comeback with the orcas, facing unprecedented challenges, including our first mayday message following a fire onboard as one of the highlights.
But first, some context. Our last time spending a winter up North was the 2020/21 season, just before COVID. The season delivered spectacular results, but it felt like it was time to move on. When we started in January 2016, there were about five vessels following the orcas. By 2020, there were over 100, and it just didn’t feel right anymore. Instead, we did three summer expeditions to Svalbard, Iceland, and finally back to Svalbard in 2023. There, we encountered countless whales and polar bears, all while enjoying the midnight sun.
So why sail back North? On a personal level, for some mysterious reason, I missed it—the cold, the dark, the northern lights, the excitement, and old friends up North, both whales and humans alike.
From a project perspective, we had evolved significantly since 2020. This winter, we wanted to put our new skillsets to good use and involve storytellers in different ways and forms. We also employed new tools, particularly the ROV operated by our friends from the Black Whale team.
The fire
And so it was, on September 15th, Barba left Stavanger for the 14th time traversing the beautiful Norwegian coast. It all went to plan until the evening of the 17th. During our approach to Florø, in 25-30 knots of wind, I started the engine to have a backup to the sails (as ironic as it sounds). Shortly thereafter, smoke came out of the engine room.
With four souls onboard, challenging conditions, and a fire in the engine room, we issued the first distress call in Barba’s history. It was an interesting day at the office, having to sail between the rocks while combating a fire. Long story short, we managed to sail to safety but were towed to the pier by the Norwegian Coast Guard and escorted by our friends from the Norwegian Sea Rescue Society.
Here, we had quite the greeting by firefighters and ambulance personnel. Two of the crew were sent to the hospital for a check-up after smoke inhalation but were fortunately discharged the same evening. The culprit turned out to be an alternator meltdown, causing slight fire damage and extensive smoke damage to Barba. Typically, the problems we encounter are caused by human error, but there’s always the exception—where I’d place this. Regardless, out of the smoke, we emerged as better sailors. We didn’t handle it perfectly, but according to the Sea Rescue Society, “They did everything right. They alerted early and managed to extinguish the fire. It was clear that these were experienced sailors.”
As for the aftermath of the fire, we had a spare alternator onboard, and the engine was up and running the next day. We spent two nights in a hotel, scrubbing the entire boat and washing all fabrics during two intensive workdays. In less than 48 hours, we’d sailed on. Fulfilling the mission remains a Barba imperative.
From sailing up the Norwegian coast. Note the new dog-house / solid rooftop on Barba. The result of an major refit this summer, and a massive upgrade from the old canvas cover. From the left. Elliot Tunstall, Jo-Ann Schies and Andreas. Photo: Amelie Conty.
The fieldwork
The following sail up the coast was windy. Two days at anchor waiting for a storm to pass, followed by mostly unfavorable winds in the days that followed, served as a reminder of the challenges awaiting us in the weeks to come. Despite these challenges, we made it to Tromsø only two days behind schedule.
Once in our zone of action, the Kvænangen region, 12 hours north of Tromsø, we were back in Orca land. While the main deliverable in 2019/20 was content production for the documentary Genius Sea Hunters with former Cousteau videographer John Jackson onboard, the focus had shifted. Our main deliverable this winter was to generate content for an ERASMUS-funded educational program with the University of Iceland, Stavanger, and Aarhus partnering to create an online portal aimed at students aged 12-14, based on content from sailing with Barba.
This time, we also wanted to make Barba available for those we deemed worthy of helping us communicate ocean conservation.
This included:
- Ben Rawlence, journalist and founder of Black Mountains College. Mission: Secure content for his upcoming book and write articles from sailing with Barba.
- Conor McDonnell, WWF Ambassador and wildlife photographer. Mission: Generate content for educational and media purposes.
- Lily Stuart, a sustainable finance professional working for Northern Trust Asset Management. Mission: outline a roadmap for investors to identify and mitigate exposure to chemical sector impact on the marine environment.
- Gabriel Mirman, a 19-year-old student at Duke University with a special interest in ocean conservation. Mission: Connect with Gen Z, and lead live student sessions with Exploring by the seat of your pants.
- Jo-Ann Schies, a marine biologist and scientific diver from France. Mission: Introduction to Arctic sailing and diving, and strengthening the Barba network.
- Sally Earthrowl, a teacher and science communicator from the UK, last seen onboard in Svalbard 2023. Mission: Do live talks with UK school classes and gather content for future talks and educational work.
For the less glamorous “jobs,” we had help with sailing from Mikko Koskinen (Finland), Elliot Tunstall, Kristian Nygård, Peter Svanberg, Sebastian, Anne Moen and finally Giulia Ercoletti and Ylva Carlsson, last seen onboard during our Svalbard circumnavigation in 2023. Content production was supported by Amelie Conty and Tord Karlsen. Furthermore, Antoine Drancey joined as ROV operator and cinematographer with Amadea Kostrzewa as assistant and VR film director.
Antoine operating the ROV, reaching a maximum of 170 meters in the relatively shallow fjords of the area. Photo: Andreas
As I keep saying, one of the greatest honors as Barba’s captain is working with extraordinarily passionate and driven individuals from around the world. This winter most certainly delivered on that front.
Naturally, we kept rotating the crew as the expedition progressed. The first section lasted from October 15th to December 7th. Following a winter break, we did a quick sortie from January 6th to 11th.
As for the trials and tribulations, it was a challenging winter, with locals describing it as one of the worst they had experienced to date. It limited our days in the field and took its toll on the boat and crew, but it’s all part of the job. Live with nature, for nature, and embrace the highs and lows—but keep pushing.
As always, the final outcomes from this peculiar yet potent mix of crew, nature, and challenges will be revealed with time. However, I feel we can conclude that, having fought fires and blizzards, the expedition has been a great success.
Barba currently rests in Tromsø before we sail her back to Stavanger at the beginning of March, stopping for some whales on the way. And so one adventure ends, paving the way for new and bigger things to come. The horizon is covered with dark skies and uncertainty, which, in the end, is how we prefer to navigate.
Andreas
