Canada’s Northwest Passage is seeing an increase in traffic. The French explorer hopes to raise awareness to the risks of environmental damage posed by the increased shipping activity and climate change.
Levon Sevunts, writing for Radio Canada International:
French explorer Alban Michon plans a solo skiing and diving expedition along part of the fabled Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago to raise awareness of risks facing the fragile northern environment due to climate change.
The Northwest Passage or rather the passages (there are several possible routes through the archipelago) connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and has become increasingly ice-free during summer months, attracting a growing number of ships taking the polar shortcut.
The 2017 was a busy shipping season in the Canadian Arctic that saw 31 complete and 14 partial transits through the Northwest Passage.
You can find out more about Michon’s planned journey on his site.