Glasgow Science Centre on Arctic Cruise

Craig Rooney of the Glasgow Science Centre is getting on-board a ship heading to the Arctic on 23 April 2018. He is accompanying scientists from the Arctic PRIZE project on their  2-week research cruise to the Barents Sea.

The team are sailing on the Norwegian RV Helmer Hanssen, named after a famous Norwegian explorer. Craig plans to film the experience and use the footage to recreate the experience for visitors to the Glasgow Science Centre later this year. One special piece of equipment is the Insta360pro that will give Glasgow Science Centre visitors the 3D experience of being in the Arctic.

While on the cruise, Craig is looking forward to seeing the Arctic environment, the remoteness of the location, watching the ship plough through sea ice, and the wild life – especially whales and polar bears. As the ship is heading towards Svalbard, there should be plenty of polar bears for him to spot.

Unfortunately the Northern Lights are not something he is likely to see in the Arctic at this time of year. As the ship heads further towards the North Pole, the days get longer. By the time the ship reaches Svalbard (~600 miles from the North Pole), Craig will be experiencing 24 hour daylight.

Before leaving Craig received all the specialist kit to wear while on the ship, some open water training in case he falls over-board, and a medical to make sure he is fit to sail. As he gets ready for the departure date, there is some slight trepidation about making small talk with scientists, and perhaps a little bit of worry about cabin fever!

You can catch Craig’s progress on the Arctic PRIZE cruise through the Glasgow Science Centre’s media channels: on Twitter (@gsc1), Facebook (@Glasgowsciencecentre), and their website (http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/).