On April 11 2025, Statsraad Lehmkuhl set out on a new expedition. Not around the globe this time, but no less spectacular.
From August 2021 to April 2023, tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl visited 36 ports in 20 countries. The One Ocean Expedition was part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, and combined research, education, and sharing of knowledge.
Also this time Statsraad Lehmkuhl sails on behalf of the UN, and as before, researchers will collect important information about the ocean, students will gain new knowledge and hands-on experience, and events will be held both on land and aboard the ship. The goal is to build a bridge between science and society – and to raise the ocean higher on the global agenda.
Far north, and far south
The previous One Ocean Expedition took Statsraad Lehmkuhl around the globe. There won’t be a circumnavigation this time, but the voyage will be no less spectacular because of it.
– There won’t be a circumnavigation this time, but it is definitely a global expedition, says Haakon Vatle, director of Stiftelsen Statsraad Lehmkuhl and leader of the expedition.
The ship will first sail north to Tromsø, then on to Reykjavik, southward and into the Mediterranean where Statsraad Lehmkuhl will be docked in Nice during the UN Ocean Conference. Then westward to the Azores, northward and through the Northwest Passage between Greenland and Canada, around Alaska and down the Pacific coast all the way to Panama, before heading north again toward Europe.
Statsraad Lehmkuhl returns to her homeport Bergen on March 18, 2026.
A tough journey, indeed, but the ship has undergone major upgrades and meets all safety standards.
– Statsraad Lehmkuhl is very safe, even if it rocks a bit more than people are used to, Haakon smiles. We have a good crew and clear routines.
Turning it up a notch
During the twelve-month expedition, the ship will visit 27 ports.
The ambition of the One Ocean Expedition is to make ocean research and ocean knowledge more accessible and engaging for both decision-makers and the general public. That’s why there will be events in the ports and open-ship days, where people can visit the tall ship and talk with the crew and researchers.
– We’re turning it up a notch this time, says Haakon. We’re going to new ports and involving even more partners - both research communities, educational institutions, and youth. And we’re placing extra emphasis on sharing knowledge along the way.
Shoulder to shoulder
It is the combination of research, education, and adventure that makes the One Ocean Expedition unique. Crew, researchers, teachers, students, and an adventurous sailing team share daily life closely. They sleep shoulder to shoulder in hammocks, handle sails together, and take turns at the helm. The divide between experts and others disappears, and knowledge is exchanged naturally.
– Being on board a sailing ship changes the pace, says Haakon. You get time to see, to listen, to think. When you’ve hoisted sails together in rain and wind, the threshold for asking a researcher a question becomes much lower. It becomes natural to talk together. It’s not a lecture hall - it’s a ship.
A floating classroom
On board, learning is hands-on and experience-based. Students learn by using the scientific equipment alongside the researchers. They collect and analyze water samples and interpret real-time data about ocean conditions. The expedition collaborates with universities and research institutions to ensure high academic quality, while also presenting the science in a visual and accessible way.
Some institutions, like NORCE and the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, will be involved throughout the voyage. Others will join to investigate specific ocean areas or topics, such as ice conditions in the Northwest Passage.
– We don’t just want to show what we do, but why it matters, and how it concerns each and every one of us, explains Haakon. The ocean isn’t just a resource - it’s the foundation of life.
It is especially important to reach young people.
– They’re the ones soon entering the workforce, and who will be making the decisions in the future. We want to show that there is a path forward, and that they can help shape it, says Haakon.
One of the projects is called "Message in a bottle": Schoolchildren are invited to write about the ocean. Their messages are brought to new destinations, and in that way, children and youth across the world become part of the journey, without being physically on board.
– It creates a kind of global conversation, says Haakon. When we return to Bergen, there will be a week-long conference with exhibitions, events, and school programs. And we hope to collect all the bottle messages and display them.
Cooperation, hope, and action
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of the expedition is the sense of community that emerges. When people are together at sea, something changes within them. They gain a new perspective - on nature, society, and their own role.
– We want to show that it’s possible, that there are solutions. We’re tired of the doomsday rhetoric. People need hope, not just problems, says Haakon.
This optimism is the driving force behind the expedition: to build a global movement for the ocean - through knowledge, dialogue, and collaboration.
– It’s about the ocean, about the future, about working together, Haakon concludes. And we hope people will see that it’s possible to do something. That you don’t have to be perfect - but it’s important to try.