20 August, Stephensons Island, Victoria Fjord

Icebreaker Oden reached the northern part of Nares Strait on August 10. This marks the point where the heavy sea ice of the Lincoln Sea begins and is typically the furthest that modern icebreaker expeditions can reach. The area of the Lincoln Sea and the adjacent central Arctic Ocean is often referred to as “the Last Ice Area,” as this is predicted to be the final region to maintain year-round pack ice if the current trend of diminishing sea ice continues.

It was clear that continuing northward would be difficult, so the decision was made to stay in the area of Newman Bugt to conduct research and observe how the conditions evolve in the Lincoln Sea. After some very successful days of data collection, however, we decided on the evening of August 12 to attempt a push further north. It turned into a challenging battle against multiyear sea ice and pressure ridges. Our average speed was around 2 knots, and at times, we made no progress at all. Helicopter ice reconnaissance flights became essential during this period.

The toughest stretch was about 35 nautical miles north of Newman Bugt, but the ice became slightly more navigable as we approached Victoria Fjord. Finally, on August 15 in the evening, we reached the most northerly point of the Ryder 2019 expedition, when Oden was the first vessel to enter the Sherard Osborn Fjord where Ryder Glacier drains. From here, we had to begin mapping our way forward as the seafloor is unknown, and we cannot risk that Oden runs aground. The entrance of Victoria Fjord, where Stephenson’s Island is situated, was reached after about two days of mapping, and this is where we are now. We had estimated only a 20% chance of reaching the Victoria Fjord, so luck was on our side this time.

Text by Martin Jakobsson and Nina Kirchner, Stockholm University