06/08/2026
Last year, British sailor Ella in the Arctic set out aboard DISCOVERY Vessel YEVA on an extraordinary attempt to complete a solo circumnavigation of the Northwest Passage and wider Arctic route. Throughout the expedition, Ella faced some of the harshest conditions on the planet including powerful storms, heavy sea ice, equipment failures, flooding, fire onboard and even running aground during a storm in the Northwest Passage. Despite these challenges, Ella successfully became the first British woman to sail the Northwest Passage solo. This was an incredible achievement and one accomplished by only a small number of sailors in history.
As part of the voyage, Ella supported the Nippon FoundationâGEBCO Seabed 2030 Project by collecting valuable bathymetric data to help improve our understanding of the Arctic seafloor. Her route took her through one of the most remote and least mapped regions on Earth. The data she collected contributed to the global effort to map the entire ocean floor by 2030 and helped improve our understanding of a region experiencing rapid environmental change.
Unfortunately, worsening ice conditions in the Kara and Laptev Seas meant Ella made the difficult but safe decision to pause the expedition before completing the full circumnavigation. YEVA remained in Alaska with plans for Ella to return and continue the journey when conditions allowed.
Today, Ella has officially begun the next stage of her remarkable Arctic expedition. Once again, she will be supporting the Nippon FoundationâGEBCO Seabed 2030 Project by collecting bathymetric data in poorly surveyed Arctic waters. Everyone at The International SeaKeepers Society wishes Ella the very best of luck as she continues this inspiring journey. We are proud to follow her adventure and the important scientific contribution she continues to make through the Seakeepers DISCOVERY Programme.
