One Ocean Expedition 2025-2026 

A 12-month global voyage with the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl - a floating ambassador for the UN Ocean Decade. Combining sail training, ocean science, education and diplomacy to inspire action for a sustainable ocean. 

2025 - 2026

One Ocean Expedition

Statsraad Lehmkuhl arrived in Bergen April 18, completing the One Ocean Expedition.

Over the course of a year, the expedition has visited ports across three continents. Several legs have been open to the public - no sailing experience needed. 

From bad luck to good fortune

Docked in hometown Bergen

Follow our journey

Imagine you’re well into a large jigsaw puzzle - and then, when a quarter of it is finished, you discover that the rest of the pieces are missing. That is what this One Ocean Expedition felt like in the Baffin Bay.

If we are to protect the ocean, we must first understand how it works - and how it is affected by changes in the environment and climate. That’s why Statsraad Lehmkuhl is doing research as she sails the seas.

More on ocean research

A 112 year old, state-of-the-art research vessel

There is an old saying among sailors - a captain has either already run aground, or will someday. On 16 July 1926, it was Gabriel Kielland's turn, on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl.

When Statsraad Lehmkuhl ran aground

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Following the success of the One Ocean Expedition 2021–2023, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is once again setting sail on a 12-month circumnavigation to promote ocean sustainability. The voyage will include 27 ports of call across three continents, combining ocean science, education and international cooperation to raise awareness about the crucial role of the ocean for a sustainable future.

Sailing route

On The One Ocean Expedition, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is filled with students, researchers and voyage crew who all work together to sail the big ship and gather experience and knowledge about the ocean.

Life on board

Tromsø, Norway

Bergen, Norway - Lerwick, UK

Reykjavik, Iceland

Nice, France 

Ponta Delgada, the Azores (Portugal)

Nuuk, Greenland

St. John's, Canada

Bermuda

Los Angeles, USA

Bermuda - Panama Canal 

Vancouver, Canada

Seattle, USA

San Francisco, USA

San Diego, USA

Ensenada, Mexico

La Paz, Mexico

Herradura, Costa Rica

Cartagena, Colombia

Herradura, Costa Rica - Panama Canal

Norfolk, USA

Cádiz, Spain

Brest, France 

Dublin, Ireland

Bergen, Norway

It took two and a half years to plan the One Ocean Expedition.

The ship was first supposed to sail to Tromsø in Norway, then across to Iceland, and into the Mediterranean to Nice for the UN Ocean Conference. From there the course would be set north toward Greenland, and then the highlight - through the Northwest Passage to the west coast of Canada, the US, Mexico, and Costa Rica. 

Then through the Panama Canal to Colombia, onward through the Caribbean to the USA, and then zigzag back to Norway via Spain, the Azores, France, and Ireland.

Statsraad Lehmkuhl departed Bergen on April 15, 2025, and everything went according to plan until August 8. Then the Canadian authorities said stop.

The ship was crossing Baffin Bay, en route from Nuuk in Greenland to Pond Inlet and the Northwest Passage, when the message came. The unusual heat in the north had removed the sea ice - but at the same time sped up the breakup of the glaciers in Greenland. Large and small icebergs drifted throughout the Northwest Passage, far more than Statsraad Lehmkuhl was certified to handle.

The ship had to turn around, and the detailed plan that Haakon Vatle and his colleagues had prepared went straight into the bin. The practical consequences were major, and the situation could easily have ruined the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation.

More on that later - but first, how do you even plan an expedition like this?

– The reason why we planned so many ports on the west coast of North America this time is actually a bit coincidental, says Haakon Vatle.

Haakon is the director of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation and the expedition leader. We meet him in his combined office and meeting room in Bergen harbour, but with an internal audit underway, he takes us into an empty office to talk.

– The sailing plan was presented to potential partners and adjusted as new partners came on board, Haakon explains.

– During the first One Ocean Expedition, we met people who wanted the ship to come to Seattle, and the same week we returned to Norway, Johan Odfjell from Sustainable Ocean Solutions contacted us and wanted us in San Francisco.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also involved.

– We’re on a global mission with the Norwegian flag on the stern, so we’ve had weekly meetings with consulates and embassies in all the countries we visit. They know their countries well and have helped us with coordination and contact with local authorities.

An important part of the expedition is attracting voyage crew, so Haakon looks for legs that will appeal to them. He also has to take the professional crew’s work schedule into account.

– It’s a very demanding exercise, Haakon says. The crew stays on board for four to six weeks, so we have to think strategically and find ports where it’s easy to fly people in and out.

Herradura Bay in Costa Rica is a good example. There is no pier large enough for the ship, so it must anchor - but at the same time the bay is only an hour’s drive from the nearest international airport.

– We often have events on board, which is positive, but short time in port means busy days for the crew. They have to handle everything while also managing the handover between those arriving and those leaving.

All ships sailing internationally work with a shipping agent who assists with practical matters on land - provisioning, fuel, and communication with the port and authorities.

– The agents know the port and how things work. But it’s fair to say that it can sometimes be frustrating. Even if we request information well in advance, it often arrives at the last minute. Many of these agents have extremely busy days and must focus on the next ship coming in.

The paperwork is particularly frustrating.

– Everything on board has to be documented, who is on board and every item we carry. It can go into absurd detail, like having to count how many sausages you have on board and clear them through customs. Some countries require an overview of the ports you have visited in the last two years, and may demand documentation if you have been in countries not friendly to the one you now want to enter. It’s a demanding exercise, Haakon sighs.

– We’ve now sailed around the world, and it’s clear that the shipping sector would benefit from simplifying the processes around port agents. The paperwork is extreme, and there is no standard. Norway is a major maritime nation, perhaps the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association could take this on? It’s not just us; all ships out there face these challenges.

Back to August 8, and the stop order from the Canadian authorities. It could have been a disaster - not for the ship, but for the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation.

– After two and a half years of planning and millions invested in preparing the ship, it was of course a shock to have to turn around. But the bad luck could have been much worse. Had the message come five days later, we might have been forced to sail straight back to our homeport Bergen, Haakon says.

The crew figured out they could still reach Vancouver on the originally planned date - but only if they went through the Panama Canal, a transit that normally must be booked a year in advance. But Haakon was lucky again.

– Traffic is heavy in the Panama Canal, and if it’s full you have to pay a fortune to pass. But they had an open slot. Pure luck, he says.

When Statsraad Lehmkuhl turned around, the first group of students from the Arctic University of Norway was on board, and from Vancouver onward the ship was fully chartered. Had the voyage been cancelled and the ship forced back to Bergen, the economic and reputational damage would have been enormous.

– For me personally, those days up in Baffin Bay were the most dramatic I’ve had in this chair, Haakon says. It could easily have ended with none of us at the Foundation having a workplace anymore. I also thought a lot about our clients. Along the entire west coast, hundreds of people had invested time, energy, and money in the voyage and in conferences in Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and La Paz. Canceling would have meant lost income, lost reputation, and lost trust in our ability to deliver. Planning new expeditions would have been extremely difficult.

– We could reach Bermuda on the same date we were supposed to be in Cambridge Bay, where there was supposed to be a crew change and a student exchange with the Arctic University of Norway.

The university decided they did not want to stay on board all the way to Bermuda, but disembark in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where they collaborate with a local university. So, the captain adjusted course and sailed to St. John’s. There, Statsraad Lehmkuhl had to stay for two days to avoid sailing into hurricane Eirin.

– It was hurricane season in the Caribbean, but we stayed clear of Eirin and had no further weather-related challenges, Haakon says with a smile.

The Royal Netherlands Naval College was supposed to take over the ship in Whittier, Alaska, and sail south to Vancouver.

– They were informed immediately when we turned in Baffin Bay and were aware of the risk. When we saw we could make it to Los Angeles on the same date we were supposed to be in Whittier, they were very flexible. They rebooked their flights and sailed with us up to Vancouver instead of down to Vancouver, Haakon says.

After Vancouver, everything was expected to go according to plan - but it didn’t.

First, the ship needed an extra stop in Ensenada, Mexico.

– We planned the route before the geopolitical situation shifted, and realized we had chosen the hot spots: Greenland, Canada, the US, Mexico, the Panama Canal and Venezuela. Our Mexican partner, Innovaciones Alumbra, had chartered the ship from San Diego to La Paz and wanted many young people on board - from Mexico, Chile, Honduras, Venezuela, and Brazil. But they had visa issues entering the US. So the solution was to depart San Diego with only the crew and sail directly across the border to Ensenada, where they came on board.

After La Paz and Herradura Bay in Costa Rica, Statsraad Lehmkuhl passed through the Panama Canal again and into the Caribbean - straight into another “storm”. In August the United States began building up a large naval force in the Caribbean, and January 3. they attacked Venezuela’s capital Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Statsraad Lehmkuhl arrived in neighboring Colombia on December 22, and spent Christmas and New Year moored in Cartagena. The first week of January cadets from the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy was supposed to come on board, and the ship was sheduled to leave for Baltimore, USA, January 9. 

But no. Another storm, a real one this time, dumping masses of snow - caused widespread travel disruption across Europe the first week of January. Hundreds of flights was cancelled, with thousands left stranded at airports in Paris and Amsterdam. It took a week before the cadets could leave Norway. 

Despite Colombia beeing in high alert due to the US attack on Venezuela, the embarkment went as planned, and Statsraad Lehmkuhl departed Cartagena January 16. 

– We were in close contact with the Norwegian embassy in Colombia, and they advised us to adjust the course and sail farther west when leaving Cartagena, Haakon says. There was no immediate danger, but geopolitics is affecting the expedition in a very real way. 

Haakon was relieved that the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy was on board through the Caribbean - the Norwegian and US navies maintain close contact. 

– It made the voyage even safer, he said.

The US city of Baltimore lies far up the Chesapeake Bay and often freezes over in winter. Captain Jens Joachim Hiorth had to reschedule, again.

–  It’s currently cold in Baltimore, and the harbour is in the process of freezing over. The cold weather is expected to continue, so this is unlikely to change. Our next port will therefore be Norfolk, he wrote in a message January 31.

Norfolk lies a bit further south, near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, so there were no delays this time. Statsraad Lehmkuhl left Norfolk on February 8 as planned, crossed the Atlantic and arrived in sunny Cádiz, Spain, on schedule on March 1. She then set out into the Atlantic again, mooring in Ponta Delgada in the Azores on March 13, one day ahead of schedule.

Statsraad Lehmkuhl was scheduled to depart for Brest, France, on March 18, but a high-pressure system to the west and a low-pressure system to the east brought storm-force winds from the north. 

The strong winds and rough seas forced Captain Jens Joachim Hiorth to wait for better conditions. The weather was being monitored continuously, but it took two days before the captain could give the order to set sail. Statsraad Lehmkuhl 

Statsraad Lehmkuhl managed to make up for lost time and arrived in Brest as planned on March 27. The severe weather system “Dave” made the onward passage to Dublin a rough but memorable experience, and the departure from Dublin was also hampered by the weather. A strong low-pressure system north of the British Isles brought gale-force winds to the Irish Sea, and the departure had to be postponed by one day.

Hopefully, the final days of the voyage will go according to plan - with no problems from either the weather or geopolitics.

Haakon is both proud and grateful as he describes how his team on board and on land has worked tirelessly “unfouling the lines” during this expedition. He spent over ten years organizing large music festivals and has handled unforeseen problems many times. There are two types of people, he says:

– Those who shout “crisis” when something happens - and you can’t work with them. And then there are those who focus on finding a solution. Here, we’re a small organization, and everyone just stepped up. Talk about commitment to the team, says Haakon.

The transformation of Statsraad Lehmkuhl into a research platform began before the first One Ocean Expedition - the circumnavigation that lasted from 2021 to 2023. Equipment was installed that enabled the ship to collect data on temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean acidity, the amount of microplastics in the water, and the distribution of fish, marine mammals, and other organisms.

But not every wish on the scientists’ list could be fulfilled.

– We held back a little, explains Geir Pedersen.

A researcher at the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Pedersen leads the scientific committee of the expedition and has been responsible for planning and coordinating the research work carried on board.

– The ship received a great deal of useful scientific equipment, but going all the way would have required major investment and significant modifications to the vessel.

The first expedition demonstrated that doing research from a sailing ship worked very well. Based on that experience, the scientific committee proposed a more ambitious approach this time.

– We recommended making the necessary investments to install all the sensors we wanted, says Pedersen. Taking it one level further would bring the ship up to the standard of modern research vessels.

Some equipment was replaced, new instruments installed, and operational and analytical routines improved.

The most important additions were a full-scale CTD and sensors that automatically measure the direction and speed of ocean currents.

CTD stands for Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth.

– The instrument measures salinity, temperature, and pressure - the most essential parameters in the ocean. These tell us about climate change, about environmental conditions for marine life, and how these change along the route we sail. No matter what you study, you need these measurements, Pedersen explains.

Every third day, the ship would heave to while the CTD was lowered into the ocean. On its descent, it continuously recorded salinity, temperature, pressure, oxygen levels, and other parameters.

Surrounding the sensors is a ring fitted with long sampling bottles, giving the instrument its nickname: “the rosette.”

– These bottles can be opened at different depths, remotely controlled from the surface, allowing us to collect water samples. That provides information about nutrients and DNA and more, revealing which organisms live there, says Pedersen.

A smaller CTD was used during the previous expedition.

– A compact version we handled with a simple lobster trap hauler. The one we have now is enormous, and suspended from a 1,500-meter cable - allowing us to sample much deeper than before. That required installing a large winch on deck, though we’ve managed to integrate it quite neatly, he adds with a smile.

Another major upgrade is what Pedersen calls current-profiling sensors.

– These are acoustic instruments that send out beams of sound in multiple directions, and record the echoes from particles in the water. By measuring the Doppler shift, we can determine current speed and direction.

The Doppler effect is familiar from everyday life: as a siren approaches, the sound rises in pitch, then drops as it moves away.

– This effect allows us to measure current direction and strength from the ship down to several hundred meters, says Pedersen. The sensors operate continuously and represent a significant leap forward - making the ship far more attractive for research.

The vessel is equipped with two such sensors: a high-frequency system reaching about 100 meters, and a low-frequency system reaching several hundred meters, though with lower resolution.

To house the current-profiling sensors, a structure known as “the fish” was installed in the keel - a streamlined blister beneath the bow.

The “fish” also contains echo sounders. These instruments use sound waves to detect marine life - from fish to microscopic plankton - revealing their abundance and vertical movements through the day.

– We now have three echo sounders operating at different frequencies, helping us distinguish between organisms. This is a dramatic improvement over before, when we had only one, mounted in an existing hull opening, Pedersen explains.

During the first expedition, hydrophones - underwater microphones - were towed behind the ship to detect whales and human-generated noise.

– It didn’t work very well, Pedersen admits.

The ship’s high stern caused strain on the cable, which broke after only a few legs.

Now, three hydrophones are permanently installed in the “fish.” Positioned to listen in different directions, they allow researchers to determine whether one or several whales are singing.

– I’ve rarely seen this type of setup on research vessels - maybe two or three examples. It’s truly cutting edge, and we are still learning how to use it effectively.

During the first expedition, students were responsible for operating equipment, collecting samples, and conducting analyses - working in a cramped, hot, and noisy lab below deck.

– They did an excellent job, but it took time to learn routines and work efficiently. With even more advanced instruments on board now, we decided to employ two permanent research coordinators, Pedersen explains.

Today, Lucie Cassarino and Natasha Fabregas share these responsibilities. They work in a still compact, but bright and pleasant laboratory.

– Both are French and experienced ocean researchers. They communicate with scientists and students, and also help explain our work to voyage crews and visitors in port.

> Sailing, and doing science - irresistible!

Some earlier tasks were discontinued, such as scheduled whale observations and systematic fishing with rod and line - often used to estimate fish abundance through “catch per unit effort.”

– Many enjoyed the fishing - it was a great activity - but the scientific value was limited, Pedersen explains.

Whale observations also proved difficult to standardize scientifically, though sightings are still recorded.

As the second expedition nears its end, the scientific team is left not only with large datasets, but also valuable experience.

What should be improved for the planned 2028 One Ocean Expedition?

– We need to get better at automating data processing, so that the ship can transmit the information we collect continuously to shore, while at the same time allowing students and researchers on board to use the data, especially from the more complex sensors. Not everyone can spend a year learning how to process complex datasets. That’s something we need to work on, Pedersen says.

Research vessels operate across all oceans, so in that sense, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is not unique. What sets this expedition apart are two key factors: students and experienced researchers sail together, and the ship collects continuous data along long transects across vast ocean areas.

These long lines are especially important for scientists studying the mesopelagic zone.

Stretching from 200 to 1,000 meters below the surface, this layer receives only faint sunlight - insufficient for photosynthesis. Many organisms migrate upward at night to feed, protected by the darkness, and returning to the depths by day.

These species are vital both ecologically and as a potential food resource. There may be as much as 10 billion tonnes of mesopelagic fish - around 95% of all fish in the ocean.

– Understanding this layer is one of the major scientific challenges today, says Pedersen. It exists worldwide - but how does it vary between regions and across latitudes?

The ship’s echo sounders can detect these small organisms, tracking their numbers and movements.

– After this expedition, we now have even more long transects of observations, including new crossings of the Atlantic and in entirely new regions.

A large amount of data was collected automatically and continuously. Below, you can see maps showing where the research coordinators collected some of the manual samples and carried out specific analyses.

Researchers are not only interested in long transects. During the leg between Tromsø and Reykjavik, scientists from the European Space Agency, OceanDataLab, and the Nansen Center studied a massive ocean vortex - 60 kilometers wide and one kilometer deep. These vortices play an important role in regulating the climate and influencing marine ecosystems.

The Lofoten Vortex was first identified in satellite images in the 1970s, and has now, for the first time, been mapped in detail in 3D using the ship’s instruments.

This work was carried out jointly by students and researchers.

– Personally, I think this is the most important achievement: giving this extraordinary ship to students and researchers, allowing them to collect world-class data while learning to sail, Pedersen concludes.

– Students collaborate with experienced scientists, build close connections with peers, and form networks that last a lifetime. From this, new researchers emerge, along with master’s theses and scientific publications. Something deeply personal, and one of the greatest outcomes of the expedition.

Click here for the list of scientific One Ocean Expedition publications

Looking for data from the One Ocean Expedition? You’ll find it here:

- Institute of Marine Research / Norwegian Marine Data Centre

The sailing ship Grossherzog Friedrich August was built in 1914 as a training vessel for the German merchant fleet. After the First World War she was taken over by the British as a war prize. In 1921 the ship was brought to Norway and put into service training Norwegian cadets two years later.

Many of her voyages were along the Norwegian coast. The weather can be unpredictable, but the sounds, islands, skerries and shoals have long been well known and carefully marked. Cairns served as navigation marks, and Norway’s first lighthouse, Lindesnes Lighthouse, was first lit in 1655.

The Norwegian Mapping Authority was established in 1773, and systematic surveying of the coast began in 1785. Reefs and shoals were charted on nautical charts, making ships less dependent on carrying a pilot on board than before.

On 16 July 1926, Statsraad Lehmkuhl was proceeding under power toward Fredrikstad in the outer Oslofjord. Near Asmaløy in the Hvaler archipelago there was a heavy jolt - the ship had struck Vidgrunnen shoal and run hard aground.

The shoal was well known, clearly marked on the chart and even indicated with a navigation pole. Statsraad Lehmkuhl was firmly stuck, but fortunately the hull remained intact. Only a minor leak developed in the provisions store.

To prevent a sailing ship from heeling too much when wind fills the sails and presses on the rig, ballast is carried low in the hull. In this case, 400 tons of cobblestones, the same kind used to pave city streets, were stowed in the ship’s bottom.

According to the official maritime inquiry, one hundred tons of this stone ballast were thrown overboard, and the freshwater tanks were pumped out. This lightened the vessel enough for a tug to refloat her at high tide. She was then towed to Fredrikstad and placed in dry dock at Fredrikstad Mechanical Workshop.

The incident was reported in the newspaper Fredrikstad Blad, which noted that only two weeks later the ship had been repaired and was on her way to Horten under full sail.

The grounding could have been a serious blemish on Captain Gabriel Kielland’s record, but the maritime inquiry concluded that neither he nor his crew were to blame.

The newspaper Bergens Aftenblad quoted the inquiry:

– The chart used for navigation shows the pole marked on the west side of Vidgrunnen, and it is clear that the pole in reality stands on the southeast side.

Chief Engineer Siri Reimers at the Norwegian Mapping Authority helped us examined the archives and confirmed that this was correct. The chart was corrected by hand on 24 July, immediately after the accident, and in the next edition the navigation pole was marked in its proper position.

The inquiry makes no mention of the cobblestones removed from Statsraad Lehmkuhl being loaded onto another vessel. They were therefore most likely dumped straight into the sea.

Fredrikstad Stenhuggeri was a major supplier of cobblestones in the 1920s, so the ballast on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl later became a mixture of original German Kopfstein and granite from Fredrikstad.

Between 1921 and 1924 new cobblestones were laid at Bryggen in Bergen, supplied from Fredrikstad - a small detail that, a century ago, tied Statsraad Lehmkuhl even more closely to the city.

One reassuring observation - if you sail the same course toward Fredrikstad as Statsraad Lehmkuhl did, you will see that Vidgrunnen is now marked with a light as well as a navigation pole.