By Paul Bryers, September 9, 2025

• Nome, Alaska

Nome marks the end of our remarkable, succesful expedition on HX’s MV Fridjtof Nansen through the Northwest Passage from Nuuk, Greenland to Nome, Alaska.

I hope you enjoy this compilation video of our voyage on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/zhojTRUas9U?si=Yw2lzH_xMaO_Ck-L

Zoom in for hand drawn specific NWP route

HX is to be highly commended for this excellent expedition. I’ve also sailed with them to the Antarctic, twice, and their level of safety blended with adventure is very well balanced.

There are, as in any challenging business of this nature, opportunities to improve the Arctic shore excursions and I’m confident these will be one excellent in a short time.

It has been a winderful experience over the 7350 km (4500 miles) from Nuuk to Nome. As of the today, we are only the 450th vessel to have successfully transited the Northwest Passage in either direction, ever, with 298 different vessels completing at least one full transit. This count includes various vessel types like expedition ships, cargo ships, and icebreakers, with the number of transits increasing in recent years due to melting Arctic ice *.

* Of note While we made it through the ice, it was a very close call. The day after we ploughed through the increasingly dense ice near to Cape Parry, the passage became blocked. We would, I guess, either have to stay it out, wait for a higher class of ice breaker or turned around.

So, it is a very, very uniquie privilege to have completed this crossing and I am very grateful to have been able to have this experience.

The trip has profoundly impacted me, evoking Carl Sagan’s insightful saying, ‘Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve got.’

On September 9, I will fly to Seattle and overnight there before flying to Florida, arriving the evening of September 10.

Thank you very much for following, liking and commenting on my posts.

Up Next on my Travel Blog:

September – Summary of May 2025 Hurtigruten BKB Cruise

September – Summary of May 2025 Mejdi Uzbekistan tour