Great Arctic Swim
The Great Arctic Swim is a three-part adventure by Justin Fornal, called the Adventure for Awareness, performed in partnership with Polar Bears International.
Contents
Members
- Justin Fornal, Swimmer
- Wesley Archer, Co-Expedition Lead and Executive Producer
- Emiliano Ruprah, Creative Director,Photographer and Cinematographer
- Sakiko Daorana, Greenland Advisor and Expedition Fixer, Board Member Visit Greenland, Greenland Adventure Expert
- G. W. K. Moore, Science Advisor
- Chris Beauchamp, Photographer
Part 1. Fly the Arctic
Justin Fornal and Wesley Archer flew from New York to Qaanaaq, Greenland in a single engine Cirrus SR22. They crossed the Canadian wilderness, ice fields of Baffin Bay, and land in the remote high arctic.
Part 2. Cross the Sea
Once in Qaanaaq, the team will cross over 100 miles of sea from Qaanaaq to Pim Island, Canada. The sea voyage was led by Inuit hunters
Swim the Strait
Fornal swam across the Nares Strait between Canada and Greenland. He planned for a 25-mile swim against time before winds and ice prevent the crossing.
The Nares Strait Crossing
At 12:00 pm on 14 August 2022, Justin Fornal and the Great Arctic Swim team set out by boat from Qaanaaq, Greenland with the goal of completing the first swim from Canada to Greenland across the Nares Strait.
The journey to the Nares Strait swim area took Fornal and the team up the west coast of Greenland and past Etah. At 10:00 pm on 14 August 2022, the team attempted to cross to Canada through very thick sea ice. The boat captains, who are experts in navigating sea ice, slowly and methodically navigated as far towards Canada as they could. At about 11:45 pm, the ice would not allow the team to go any further.
They anchored to a large ice sheet and discussed the conditions and sought advice from the Inuit guides who felt it would not be possible to go any further. The team made the decision to seek a safe harbor for the night and seek advice from the science expert as well as weather forecasts for the upcoming days.
Upon arriving in Shelter Harbor, the captains advised it was too dangerous to stay in the area too long. One of them had been locked in by sea ice for 10 days, at the same location, in years past. After discussions with the science advisor for weather and ice flows, they made the decision to attempt a crossing. After waiting on better tides, they set off once more for Canada.
At approximately 12:00 pm on 15 August 2022, the expedition again ran up against impassable sea ice and the captains halted their forward progress. They advised that they would not be able to attempt the crossing again after this one due to safety. After careful consideration, the team made the decision to attempt the swim from the point of maximum forward progress towards Canada.
They decided to do the swim that Mother Nature has allowed.
After preparing the kayak while Fornal suited up with his open cell wetsuit, the swim commenced at 1:15 pm on 15 August 2022.
Immediately upon entering the water, the team encountered ice flows moving in all directions. Wesley Archer, who was guiding Fornal, had to make fast decisions to move around dangerous flows as the guide boats stayed as close as they could.
For the duration of the swim, the team continued to navigate sea ice, icebergs, and currents which led to a snaking, curving, multi-directional swim to Greenland. Fornal was constantly pushing large chunks of ice out of his path while Archer was constantly blowing the safety whistle to advise him of upcoming dangers.
At 8:45 pm after 7 hours 30 minutes in 11 miles of near freezing water, Fornal completed the first non-stop swim from the middle of the Nares Strait to Greenland. He completed the first long distance assisted swim in an open cell wetsuit in the Nares Strait.
While the original goal of completing the first swim from Canada to Greenland was not possible to attempt, the team never wavered in performing the Great Arctic Swim. Fornal swam further in Arctic water at that latitude and in extreme conditions, than any person in history.
The swim was attempted to raise awareness about global warming and a changing Arctic.
