Latest news with #ArcticOcean
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thrill-seeking tourists stunned by 'amazing' sight as polar travel booms
Surrounded by a frozen and unforgiving landscape, tourists recently watched on as two polar bears picked apart the carcass of a dead whale floating among icebergs in the frigid Arctic. Stunning images of the "unforgettable moment" were captured from the passenger vessel, with a marine biologist on board telling Yahoo News Australia it was "the best sighting of this kind" in the 18 years he's worked as a guide. "Our guests got to witness two bears near a dead whale floating amongst the ice," marine biologist Mikolaj Golachowski explained. "It was a foggy day, so everything kept coming in and out of view. But then it cleared and we saw a bear (most likely a female) walking close to the ship, heading towards the carcass, then spending about an hour on top of it, feeding. "After that, she left to disappear into the returning fog... It does happen, but in my 18 years of working as a guide in the Arctic, this was the third and by far the best sighting of this kind. Reasonably close and long. "That was amazing!" he said. The moment on July 11 was cherished for how special it was, and it's scenes like this that are seeing more travellers keen to throw some warm clothing into a suitcase and jet off to the ends of the Earth. As a result, Polar tourism is booming as more and more visitors flock to the once out-of-reach environment. But the trend has raised concerns about the potential costs to the environment. "Interest in travelling to the Arctic has grown year on year over the last few years," a spokesperson for Quark Expeditions, a tour company specialising in Arctic and Antarctic travel, told Yahoo News. While the company focuses primarily on tourism around the North Pole, between 14-16 per cent of people exploring Antarctica with the company are Australians, it said. Tourists flock to polar regions as 'sustainability' is questioned Both the Arctic and Antarctica are experiencing booms in tourism, and scientists are urging authorities to focus on sustainability as demand skyrockets. Antarctica While tourism to Antarctica remains exclusive and very expensive, it has slowly started to grow in popularity. Visitors have increased more than tenfold in the last 30 years, according to data from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. 🐋 Quiet change seen off Australia's coast linked to 'worrying' event 🥺 Emotional decision looms as ancient site faces extreme storm 📚 Backlash over radical climate change plan for Aussie schools Unchecked tourism growth in the southern polar region is cause for concern, scientists say. Approximately two-thirds of Antarctic tourists land on the continent, threatening fragile ecosystems there by compacting soils, trampling vegetation, introducing non-native microbes and disturbing breeding colonies of birds and seals. Darla Hatton MacDonald and Elizabeth Leane, both professors at the University of Tasmania, explained the polar region is already under increased pressure due to climate change, and tourism will only exacerbate the issue, tipping the delicate ecosystems into decline. The Arctic In June, United Airlines commenced direct flights from the US to Greenland to accommodate the growing interest in polar explorations. The 2,200-metre runway recently built at Nuuk airport also expands options for tourists eager to travel to the country, without the commitment of flying first to Denmark or Iceland and changing at a remote airport in Kangerlussuaq. However, cruise ships remain the most popular mode of transport, with tourists heading for the Arctic via Norway. More than 1.5 million cruise passengers visit Norwegian ports every year, according to the Norwegian Coastal Administration. Elina Hutton, Arctic tourism researcher, said the influx of tourism is damaging sensitive polar ecosystems. She believes Arctic governments need to put tighter controls on cruise ships to restrict the number of visits, throwing into question whether tourism should be embraced, Reuters reports. "Do we need to be able to travel everywhere? Do we need to be able to fly to Antarctica and cruise to the North Pole? I know it would be fun — but is it something that we need to be able to do?" she said. "It can't be sustainable." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former NFL TE Jimmy Graham, rowing crew complete 584-mile Arctic Challenge in 10 days
Jimmy Graham may not have officially retired from the NFL, but the longtime tight end is keeping busy after rowing over 584 nautical miles in 10 days. The 38-year-old's latest pursuit saw him train for the past 18 months to take part in the Arctic Challenge, a journey across the Arctic Ocean with three other team members in hopes of setting a Guinness World Record. Advertisement The crew of Graham, Andrew Tropp, and Hannah and John Huppi — the first mixed-gender team of four to row across the Arctic Ocean and the first all-American team to row across a polar ocean, broke the previous record held by a team of four of 15 days, 5 hours and 32 minutes, which was set in 2023. The conditions, as you could imagine, were rough with the team forced to drop anchor twice during their journey. Not to mention the cold, rain and wind causing issues with recharging their electronics. The team began their trek on July 4 from Tromsø, Norway and arrived in Longyearbyen, Svalbard on July 14. According to the Arctic Challenge, the average travel time south to north is about 16.5 days. Advertisement This journey also wasn't without purpose. The crew set a goal of raising $1 million — one dollar for every meter across the Arctic Ocean — for Covenant House New Orleans and Laureus Sport for Good New Orleans. This kind of adventure isn't unusual for Graham, who served a lead navigator during the trip. He owns 10 different aviation licenses and is an avid cyclist. While football might be in the past, Graham has been planning his future, as he told Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan on his podcast in January 2024. "It just really gives me something to look forward to and something that athletically I can push myself in a new direction," Graham said. "And I don't have to take hits anymore. I can just sit there and just get to work." A five-time Pro Bowler and First-team All-Pro in 2013, Graham recorded two 1,000-plus yard receiving seasons and led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2013 with 16. Advertisement After sitting out the 2022 season, Graham returned to New Orleans on a one-year deal in 2023, his last in the NFL. He played in 13 games and scored four times.
Washington Post
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
A rap festival near the Arctic Ocean delights crowds under the midnight sun
UTSJOKI, Finland — It was well past midnight when Mihkku Laiti appeared on stage to perform at an open-air music festival in the Finnish village of Utsjoki, north of the Arctic circle. Despite the time, Lapland's famous midnight sun was still up. During the summer months the sun doesn't go down at all in Utsjoki, which is less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Arctic Ocean.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- The Independent
A holiday in the Arctic that's more than just searching for polar bears
A brilliant-white creature, camouflaged by snow, rests on a solitary slab of ice in the Arctic Ocean, sparkling under the polar summer sun. This majestic bird, the ivory gull, is a poignant symbol of an environment disappearing due to uncomfortably warm temperatures in the far north. Weighing around 500g, it is approximately 600 times smaller than Svalbard's most famous resident, the polar bear. Yet, contrary to widespread belief, the polar bear is not the sole monarch of the Arctic. Far fewer in number and considerably rarer, the brilliant-white ivory gull could easily claim that crown, its existence intrinsically linked to the vanishing ice. The bird, which lives at high latitudes for its entire lifespan – even in 24 hours of darkness, is one of the species I've been searching for on a circumnavigation of Svalbard with leading polar expedition cruise experts Quark. Admittedly, these angelic white birds are rarely far from the hulking fluffy white bears that have historically brought people to these regions – from hunters and trappers, through to tourists and photographers. Scavenging for scraps, they keep a close eye on the apex predators' moves. When I first visited Norwegian-governed Svalbard more than a decade ago, it was a very different place; there were less (and smaller) cruise ships navigating waters, and more ice. New regulations have been introduced to cope with the growing pressures of over-tourism and climate change, taking effect from January this year. The biggest change is the introduction of minimum distances for viewing bears – 500metres (from March 1 to June 30) and 300metres (from July 1 to February 28). Inevitably, there are grumblings and concerns about rules that reduce most bear encounters to viewings of a blob no bigger than a Rice Krispie through a supersized scope. But companies like Quark are determined to work within the new parameters and still deliver an excellent experience, proving there is so much more to Svalbard than painstakingly hunting for bears. During mid-summer, when the sun never sinks, it's possible to move around the entire Arctic archipelago reached by a one-hour and 40-minute flight from Tromso into former coal mining settlement turned tourist hub, Longyearbyen – (or, in my case, a three-hour charter flight from Helsinki). Our first excursion had been a hike across the tundra at Camp Zoe, on the western coast of main island Spitsbergen. Surrounded by the area's trademark spiky peaks, we walked across spongey soils, stopping to look at clusters of purple saxifrage as delicate as millefiori glasswork and sniffing the rose-like scent of moss campion. Tiny waterfalls trickled and snow bunting whistled, signalling the surprising variety of life at these extremes. A second hike in Buchananhalvoya, the following day, introduced us to forests of polar willow – the biggest 'tree' in Svalbard, standing at only 8cm tall. 'They say, if you're lost in the forests of Iceland, just stand up,' quipped expedition guide Kelly. 'If you're lost in a forest in Svalbard, just open your eyes.' Along our trail, pawprints the size of dinner plates reminded us bears can be anywhere, explaining why all hikes are led by guides with rifles, and landings are only ever made if a site has been carefully scouted and deemed clear. As part of the new regulations, landings have been limited to 43 designated sites and only ships with a maximum of 200 passengers can enter protected areas. Carrying less than that number, our ship, the Ultramarine, was perfectly suited to explore the best spots. The ideal way to view bears is – and always has been – from a ship, in ice. Beyond Svalbard's 12-nautical-mile protection zone, there are no set restrictions on viewing distances. During the summer months, this is where the remaining pack ice can be found. Heading to 81 degrees north, the furthest north Ultramarine has ever travelled, we enter the Arctic's frozen kingdom. A mosaic of shattered slabs drifts around us like pieces in an ever-shifting jigsaw puzzle. It isn't long before we sight two male bears playing and rolling in the snow, taking dips in sapphire-blue patches of water to cool off from the blazing sun. Watching wildlife is a game of patience. After several hours, a curious bear approaches our vessel, sniffing the air with his coal-black nose, until he is only metres from the bow. Dwarfed by the expanse of a frosted realm stretching into infinity, it's the iconic image of an animal at the frontline of climate change. In extreme environments, weather dictates everything. Much of expedition leader Sarah Zaubi's time is spent analysing and cross-referencing weather charts, looking at wind speeds and fog. Although a storm is approaching, we have a small window of opportunity to visit Svalbard's premier bird cliffs at Alkefjellet along the Hinlopen Strait – a body of water separating Spitsbergen from neighbouring island Nordaustlandet. At 5.30am the next morning, visibility is gloomy. The sharp ridges of steep cliffs appear like turrets of medieval castles in the low, foreboding light. Motoring closer to the site in Zodiac RIB boats, the bickering of squealing birds grows loader, eventually drowning out the sound of our engines. More than 60,000 breeding pairs of Brünnich's guillemots nest here every summer, crammed onto ledges like residents of inner-city tower blocks. Jostling for a comfortable position, the small bids flutter their monochrome wings as they squabble and fight, creating even bigger black clouds in the skies overhead. Amidst the chaos, crafty foxes sneak between the ridges to steal eggs. While wildlife is Svalbard's biggest attraction, its landscapes shouldn't be underestimated – from glaciers with walls taller than skyscrapers to polar deserts rolling into a seductive unknown beyond. Whether out on the bow or sitting in the elegant dining room, I spend hours watching mountains rise and fall in the mist as chubby fulmars and even several humpbacks flank our vessel. Throughout our 14-day voyage, we clock up bears on ice, rocks and even strolling below a glacier. But it's the tiny creatures that leave the biggest impressions – fox kits tumbling in the tundra, a newborn baby bearded seal clinging to a drifting stack of ice, hundreds of little auks flocking metres from my face as I huddle into a cluster of lichen-stained rocks. New regulations and bigger crowds have undoubtedly made it more challenging to visit Svalbard, but 'the land of cold shores' is still warmly inviting. With the right approach and correct planning, it's possible to enjoy everything the archipelago has to offer. Although it's in those impromptu, unexpected moments that the real beauty lies. How to plan your trip
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former NFL Great Jimmy Graham's Next Challenge: the Arctic Ocean
Former NFL Great Jimmy Graham's Next Challenge: the Arctic Ocean originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jimmy Graham has been called an adrenaline junkie, and for good reason. During his 14-year NFL career, in which he was one of the best tight ends of all time, Graham spent every offseason adding to his long list of flying certifications — pilot's license, helicopter license, seaplane license, you name it. When he wasn't flying planes, he was jumping out of them — Graham recently said he's skydived about 100 times. Advertisement Graham retired from the NFL in 2023, and last year he committed to an adventure that will be much more than an adrenaline rush. In less than a month, Graham and three others embark on a trek that will push the limits of human endurance. Graham is part of Arctic Challenge 2025. In early July, he and his new teammates will row their way across the Arctic Ocean — 1,000 kilometers through freezing and treacherous waters. Among the many goals is to raise money for charity and to break the speed record for this route. The record currently stands at 15 days, five hours and 32 minutes. Jimmy Graham aboard the boat he'll be in for two weeks during July's Arctic Challenge Barrera 'We're trying to push the limits of our body, our brains, our minds, our soul,' Graham told Athlon Sports. 'It'll be an interesting journey.' Advertisement Interesting? That might not be the best word. Insane, maybe 'I can describe this as the hardest thing I've ever done,' he said. Graham first heard about the Arctic Challenge through his good friend, Andrew Tropp, a retired Navy SEAL. Graham and Tropp teamed up with husband-and-wife team John and Hannah Huppi, both former Team USA rowers based in Louisiana. The four of them, along with several members of the support team, have been training and prepping for over a year. If they complete the trip, they would be the first all-American quartet to do it. Hannah Huppi would be the first woman. Graham would be the first black rower. Advertisement Again, that's if they complete the trip. They begin the journey in Tromso, Norway in a state-of-the-art boat that includes three rowing positions and two cabins. 'We row two hours on, two hours off,' said Graham 'And on your time off, you have to do your job. My job is lead navigation, lead comms, lead weather. 'So I'll be communicating with our ground teams, figuring out our route, figuring out the currents and any storms that are headed our way. And then determining what the right compass course is going to be for the next, I guess, five to 12 hours.' After that, Graham added, there's the job of personal care — calorie intake, hydration, sleep. Advertisement 'The biggest component for me is going to be the sleep,' he said. 'We'll get about 50 minutes of sleep at a time. Once you're dealing with sleep deprivation, you know, trouble can happen and mistakes can happen. And this is a journey that, you know, there's very small margins for errors.' This may be the greatest challenge Graham has undertaken, but the 38-year-old has been pushing himself since childhood. Placed in a group home at age 11, Graham was bullied often as a kid. As he grew into his 6-foot-7 frame, basketball became a way out of his troubling situation as he earned a scholarship to play hoops at the University of Miami. After four years of basketball and graduating with a double major (marketing, management), Graham stayed at Miami to take graduate classes — and that's when he joined the Hurricanes' football team for one season. He only caught 17 passes that year, but five were for touchdowns. NFL scouts noticed that his size-speed combination made him an enticing tight end prospect. The New Orleans Saints took him in Round 3 of the 2010 draft. Jimmy Graham with the Saints Lew-Imagn Images Graham took full advantage of the opportunity. In just his second season, he set career highs with 99 receptions and 1,310 yards. In 2013, he led the league with 16 TD receptions, one of four seasons with 10 or more touchdowns. After playing for the Saints, Seahawks, Packers and Bears, Graham retired with 719 receptions for 8,545 yards and 89 touchdowns. The 89 touchdowns rank fourth all-time among tight ends. The receptions and yards are both eighth. Advertisement Believe it or not, Graham said life in the NFL has prepared him for the rigorous training for the Arctic Challenge — both the hard work put in and the acquired skill of making smart decisions under pressure. 'I think it definitely helps me just staying calm, just having a clear vision and decision making at, you know, very, very dangerous moments when things have to be decided,' he said. 'And two, I think just the pallet for training … I've been working out since I was 15. The longest I've taken off from working out was probably two weeks, after I had wrist reconstructive surgery. 'There's a lot of like misconceptions of what the NFL is. I speak to a lot of kids and mentor a lot of kids and try to describe to them what being a professional athlete is. Most people, they see all the glory, right? They see the touchdowns, the Pro Bowls, they see the commercials, they see the fanfare … but the real moments and the majority of the time, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of sacrifice and it's a lot of suffering, especially after injuries.' Preparing for the cold During his six seasons with the Saints, Graham had the luxury of playing indoors. But he does think his two years each with the Packers and Bears will help him in the Arctic. Advertisement 'Definitely, Green Bay was a great preparation for this, Chicago as well,' he said, adding that his coldest experiences weren't games so much as practices. 'Forget the games,' he said. 'The games, you can always get up for that. In Green Bay, we practiced outside every day. … I remember one day it was probably zero degrees.' Graham said the average air temperature when they get to the Arctic will be around 37-45 degrees — balmy compared to winters in Green Bay. Problem is, the average water temperature for the Arctic Ocean will be 28 degrees, with 10-foot waves and wind gusting between 20-40 miles per hour. 'I think I've had a little bit of prep for it, but in the end, you know, it's just going to be suffering, keeping the digits and feet dry.' The Arctic Challenge Team (l. to r.): Andrew Tropp, Jimmy Graham, Hannah Huppi and John HuppiOmar Barrera As much as the past year has been dedicated to training, it's been equal parts learning. Graham's aviation experience is valuable in terms of navigation and understanding of weather patterns. In late May, he was preparing for a trip to the U.K. to meet with the team's 'weather router,' Simon Rowell, a weather expert who supports record challenges for sailing and rowing around the world. In Graham's role as lead navigator, he'll be in communication with Rowell every 12 hours throughout the trip to mitigate weather risks. Advertisement Back in December, the team was in Idaho for medical training and cold-weather training. He said they were put through a four-year medical course in two days. 'We learned how to do finger blocks, digit blocks, learned how to do dental blocks … You know, learned basically wartime triage medicine.' Mitigating risk As intense as that sounds, Graham is quick to point out that all of this is just a natural progression from everything else he's done that others might consider too dangerous. Whether flying or skydiving, he was always learning from the best and working with the best. And mitigating risk was always top of mind. Advertisement 'I love my life,' he said. 'I want to keep living my life happy and healthy.' The team has already had a couple of sea trials. The most recent was from Miami to Islamorada, midway down the Florida Keys, and back. Of course, the weather was much nicer than it will be in the Arctic, and the trip was a about one-third of how far they'll go in July. Next up for Graham, he's planning to pull an all-nighter about two weeks before the trip. 'I'm going to spend about 24 hours, just to prepare my back and my sit bones and everything,' he said. 'I'll just sacrifice the day … I'll row two hours on, two hours off for 24 hours nonstop.' Advertisement If they can complete the Arctic Challenge in 15 days, that means Graham's 24-hour exercise would be less than 7% of the overall time he'll be rowing two hours on/two hours off in the Arctic. Still, Graham says — perhaps joking? — this could be less grueling than a seven-month NFL season. 'But yeah, it's going to be the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. Definitely interesting to see where the mind goes.' Another key aspect of the training and preparation has been nutrition. Graham said he expects to burn 9,000-1,000 calories per day, so he's got to prepare the body for that. Fortunately for Graham, he's been very particular about food and being healthy since he got to the NFL. Advertisement 'I've been eating a certain way for about 16, 17 years now,' he said. 'So nothing has really changed. 'I would say during my trainings, I'm intaking more carbs than I ever had before. You know, with football, I didn't eat a lot of carbs … I limited them.' Don't get him wrong, Graham does enjoy pizza — he just hasn't had a slice in about a decade. It was suggested to him that maybe a slice of pizza would be a nice way to celebrate when he completes the Arctic Challenge. 'Oh, yeah,' he said. 'Well, I'm going to eat everything. I think it'll be about five days of literally eating all the things I haven't eaten in the last probably 20 years.' The team preparing for a sea trial in Barrera For the kids Graham won't just be celebrating his completion of this massive undertaking; he'll also be celebrating the money they expect to raise for several youth charities, including Covenant House in New Orleans. Advertisement Graham's been working with at-risk kids through his foundation for years. Helping raise money for these groups is gratifying, but not as important to him as inspiring kids to be their best. 'Providing them with great opportunities, giving them hope,' he said. 'Giving them somebody who's been exactly where they are, who spent times as a child very alone, very unwanted. For them to realize that when you turn 18, you have complete control over what happens to you. It ain't gonna be easy. But if you put your head down and just work and focus on each and every day, focus on just getting better, focus on getting smarter… 'I just want to encourage any kid that feels alone, feels unwanted, just understand that you have a bright future, you're a bright human being, and if you're willing to work, and put in the time and limit distractions, you can create any life for yourself that you want.' So what's next for Graham after he conquers the Arctic Ocean? He's got an idea. It's something that would check all the boxes: one, inspire kids; two, provide the adrenaline rush he craves; and three, entertain a crowd. Advertisement 'I've spent the majority of my adulthood entertaining crowds,' he said. 'One of the biggest joys I've had, besides the camaraderie with my boys in the locker room, was scoring touchdowns. There is nothing that compares to that. How do you replace scoring a game-winning touchdown in front of 60,000 or 70,000 fans, 12 million people watching on TV? It's a hard hole to fill.' Hmm… Loves to fly, loves to entertain… 'I'm gonna go into air shows at some point,' he said. 'Doing front-flips in a plane with people watching seems like the best way to fill that hole.' Given Graham's track record, don't bet against him. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
