Hobby LAB with C4OE

The Seabirds are partnering with the Center for Ocean Exploration (C4OE) for a once-in-a-lifetime expedition celebrating women exploration: past, present, and future. We will honor the pioneering work of Louise Arner Boyd (LAB), for whom the expedition is named. Her ship was “The Hobby,” and our expedition honors that history as well as the notion that Boyd defied with her whole existence: “Women are to be left to their hobbies.”

On board, our intergenerational team will deploy hydropones, ROVs, and other means of study of the environment and the winter whales migrating into the fjords.

Via Zodiacs, we will observe and snorkel with North Atlantic type 1 orcas and Northeast Atlantic humpback whales. The observations are all conducted with animal welfare and ethics at the forefront. 

On board, we will learn from field guides and scientists about orca behaviors, Norway’s fjord ecosystem, and behavioral adaptations due to climate and human impact.

Expedition Aims: Record orca and whales with hydrophones and cameras, ROV surveys, social science of polar exploration 

Possible Encounters: Orca, humpback whales, fin whales, herring, mackerel