Young explorers set for Antarctic adventure with Hurtigruten

The We Two Foundation has revealed the 10 young explorers who will embark on an Antarctic adventure with Hurtigruten in November.

Each member of the group, all aged between 16-19, was nominated by a member of their community for their sustainability initiative plans, before being chosen to participate in the expedition with the cruise line.

The teenagers will witness first-hand how the initiatives they will work on at home, including beach cleans, recycling schemes, rewilding projects and taking a school to Green Flag status, are integral to protecting Antarctica and beyond.

“From over 700 nominations, we had the unenviable task of whittling them down to the final 10,” said Phoebe Smith and Dwayne Fields, co-founders of the We Two Foundation.

“It was not easy, but we are confident that the young people we have chosen will help us plant the seeds of change in their communities.

“The ideas that they have for improving their local communities in their ‘pay it forward’ pledges shows that this generation truly cares about making a positive change in their environment, and we can’t wait for them to see first-hand how important their work in their communities is for driving real change on the other side of the world.”

The tour will take place on hybrid ship MS Fridtjof Nansen, named the most sustainable expedition cruise ship in the world in 2021, and see the young people join Hurtigruten’s expedition team in a series of Citizen Science projects.

This will include Seabird Distribution with the Antarctic Site Inventory, tracking individual whales and leopard seals and studying phytoplankton to better understand how they respond to water temperature changes.

Anthony Daniels, general manager UK and EMEA at Hurtigruten Expeditions, said: “It’s incredible to see the dedication of every entrant towards sustainability.

“You can truly see their passion to positively impact their local environment. We can’t wait for all these young explorers to join us onboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, and with the help of our onboard Scientists and Expedition Team, realise how the actions in their local community will help to protect the world for the next generation.”

The expedition will take place in November 2022. The explorers who make up the group are: