These Adventurous Cruises Are Taking Science Seriously

Barrier-breaking cruise expeditions are providing a more meaningful way to experience the world’s oceans.

In January 2022, a small submersible, known as a U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub-7 MKII 300, was lowered into the icy waters off the coast of Rongé Island in Antarctica from the expedition ship Viking Octantis. When it reached depths of about 87 metres, a strange, sinewy creature waved silently into view. Looking like a cross between a giant ribbon and a stubby parasol and measuring at least 4.85 metres in length, it was an example of the extremely rare giant phantom jellyfish (Stygiomedusa gigantea) and its appearance was cause for great excitement. “Its few observations previously have been in deep waters,” explains Dr Damon Stanwell-Smith, head of science and sustainability at Viking. This sighting in shallower water was unprecedented. Its appearance – along with two more that season – was so remarkable that one of the ship’s chief scientists, Dr Daniel M. Moore, published the findings in the journal Polar Research. “The synergy of having the platform to explore and the personnel to scientifically interpret what is found embodies our scientific approach,” says Stanwell-Smith.

Cruise ships that nod to science aren’t new. Almost every expedition vessel has programs onboard where guests can learn more about the region they’re exploring and perhaps even get hands-on when they go ashore. But Viking Cruises takes its scientific commitment to a higher level, specifically on voyages to Antarctica, Patagonia and the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada. The line has partnerships with Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other scientific centres, which match researchers and educators to relevant journeys, giving them access to remote and vulnerable areas that would otherwise be too costly and difficult to reach. The two flagship expedition ships – Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris – have laboratories, oceanographic instruments and special operations boats and submersibles in a distinct section to the aft of the vessel. And the guests on board help to fund the important work.

“Marine research normally requires substantial external funding from government grants or philanthropic foundations,” says Stanwell-Smith. “On Viking’s expeditions the research is enabled by the guests’ fares, which in return provides a unique opportunity for them to experience how the research and science is conducted in these regionsIn order for the back of the vessel to exist, we need the front of the ship.”

A fairly recent player in the expedition space, Seabourn launched its first expedition vessel, Venture, in 2022, with Pursuit following this year. Like Viking, the line’s scientific secret weapons are its submersibles. Each ship is equipped with U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7 submarines, which have been deployed to parts of the ocean that have been minimally explored – or not explored at all – with great effect.

On a recent voyage around Greenland, one of Venture’s submarine pilots, marine biologist Dr Merel Dalebout, was taking guests beneath the waves near Hvalsey, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed former Viking church, when something anomalous on the seabed caught her eye. “I was joking with my passengers about the chances we’ll find a Viking longboat and I’m suddenly like, ‘Wait, what is that?’ It was a bone-like thing, about 30 centimetres, hollowed out and with holes drilled into it.” Both Dalebout and the guests were agog with excitement, though the scientist had the presence of mind to photograph the artefact and record its location.

A few days later, she made her way to the University of Greenland to tell it about the find and not long after received emails from various scientists and archaeologists intrigued by what she’d seen. Though other divers had scoured the area before her, none had found this item. “No-one knows what it could be just yet, though there’s speculation that it’s Inuit rather than Viking,” says Dalebout. It’s just one example of the scientific and historical education possibilities that the subs present. “When I saw the bone I thought, ‘Wow. That’s something different.’ I don’t think I realised how cool the find was until I got to the surface. It’s really exciting.”

Expedition line Hurtigruten also takes its science seriously but the cruise company’s guests lead the endeavours. It operates more than 10 citizen-science programs worldwide, including bird population surveys, phytoplankton sampling and recording cloud formations. On a recent mission to Greenland, passengers and onboard science collaborators were able to record a sighting of a significant sperm whale and report it back to the citizen-led Happywhale project, which aims to document individual whales around the globe. “We believe it was a big male that often visits Maniitsoq,” says Emily Baxter, head of guest experience at Hurtigruten. “We’re the only ones who have ever submitted photos of him to Happywhale – the shape and marks on the tail fluke provide a unique ID. Our team was also able to deploy a hydrophone to record his clicks so guests could listen to his vocalisation and echolocation.” On a trip to the Norwegian fjords, guests made a record-breaking (at least for Hurtigruten) 1329 observations of 457 flora and fauna. In 2022, a total of 938 cruise nights were offered to scientific collaborators, which include biologists, astrophysicists and oceanographers. The fact that the vessels return to the same spots regularly means fluctuations in populations can be better monitored over time. “As we travel to the same locations, year after year, there’s a very high value in our data,” says Baxter.

Of course, it’s a rare traveller who takes an expedition cruise to somewhere as extraordinary as Antarctica or the Arctic just to contribute to scientific knowledge. Viking, Hurtigruten and Seabourn are known for their low-key elegance, commitment to exploration and specialised service, meaning that once you’ve documented whales and rare jellyfish you can kick back in a luxurious lounge area for champagne and chats with your fellow passengers or head out on a Zodiac to gaze at the landscape for its beauty alone. But there’s something uniquely satisfying about knowing that your journey is both life-changing for you and potentially world-changing on a larger scale. “If we’re at the front of the ship travelling as a tourist it’s important that we not only avoid doing harm but proactively try to do good,” says Stanwell-Smith. On-board scientific projects, says Baxter, “offer guests a deeper understanding and appreciation of the areas they visit. Our guests help us change the world, one adventure at a time.”

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