An important part of the Ocean Change expeditions is interacting with the local people. We have so far visited Inuit in their homeland on the coast of Labrador five times. Fish always plays…
Nain – a village that feels like a metropolis
Just over 1,200 people live in Nunajnguk – which is the Inuit name for Nain. Founded in 1771 as a mission station, Labrador’s northernmost settlement offers everything that makes up modern…
A forest of antennas – back to civilisation
As we head for our anchorage off Korokuluk Brook, it becomes clear to us – we’re going through withdrawal. We long for lush vegetation, sunshine and people. For weeks we’ve been sailing thr…
The mountains where the spirits dwell
We drop anchor in St John’s Harbour, a side arm of the Saglek Fjord. We have reached our next stop. The Dagmar Aaen is moored off the base camp of Torngat Mountains National Park. On shore…
Carved by ice, shaped by glaciers
For days now, fog, drizzle and low-hanging clouds have been our constant companions. Often, the coastline reveals its contours for just a few moments before fading back into the grey. Only…
In the footsteps of history
Canada’s east coast is breathtaking. We marvel at the unspoilt mountain slopes as they pass by. It gives us goosebumps. Nature seems so untouched that we find ourselves wondering whether an…
Labrador: A Place of Longing
We’ve arrived!
Slowly, the contours of the Canadian coastline emerge from the oily-grey mixture of sea and clouds. Marie is the first to spot our destination, earning herself a shot of sch…
Grey.
It took just a few hours for the Arctic to reclaim its colours. First the horizon vanished, then the contours of the sea, and finally almost all contrast. What remained were countless shade…
Westward bound
The Dagmar Aaen is ready to set sail. We’ve taken on plenty of provisions. Nuuk was our last chance to buy fresh vegetables. We won’t have another opportunity to visit a supermarket on the…
A journey through history
We continue northwards. We experience deserted, unspoilt landscapes, drop anchor in peaceful fjords, catch cod, and discover long-abandoned fishing settlements – Greenland has us spellbound…
Prince Christian Sund
Ikerasassuaq – Prins Christian Sund
In the thick fog, the entrance to Prins Christian Sund is barely discernible. We slowly approach the entrance to the fjord, only realising at the last m…
When the ice calls
Up at 3.30 am. Brush our teeth, slip into our oilskins. The watch change is at 4.00 am. For the next four hours, three crew members are in charge of the ship, whilst the rest of the crew ar…
Sermersuuaq – the great ice
We leave Tasiilaq and continue southwards. Our destination for today: a sheltered bay off Hornemann Island. We intend to drop anchor there.
Towards evening, we make our way cautiously into…
Greenland and the ‘Red House’
A visit to the ‘Red House’
It takes the Dagmar Aaen just under three days to make the crossing from Iceland to Greenland – for us, this time it meant three days on the North Atlantic with…
Vestmannaeyjar and Reykjavík
Heimaey is the name of the only village and harbour on the Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar). The name probably originates from the Vikings, who are said to have been the first to reach the…
A first-ever match between the Faroe Islands and Iceland
The Dagmar Aaen has been operating as a volunteer weather observation vessel since the early 1990s. Back then, data was still recorded manually and transmitted by radio. Today, we have a fu…
Stopover: Orkney
The start of Ocean Change 2026 was a gentle one. Setting off from Kiel, the journey took us first through the North-East Canal, with overnight stops in Rendsburg and Brunsbüttel, before we…
OCEAN CHANGE 2026 has been launched
The “Ocean Change 2026/27” expedition has got off to a successful start – the crew will set off on the next leg of their journey to Greenland and Canada from Kiel on 4 June.
Arved Fuchs an…
