Mexican scientific expedition completes Northwest Passage

A Mexican scientific and maritime expedition led by Sailing for Prosperity (S4P) has successfully completed the Northwest Passage, arriving in Nuuk, Greenland. Sailing aboard the vessel Diablesse, the crew traveled approximately 4,500 nautical miles over 57 days, starting from Nome, Alaska, and traversing the Canadian Arctic.

This mission marks the first sailing expedition led from Mexico to complete this complex navigation route. Researchers from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS), Sergio Martínez and Lorena Viloria, utilized the voyage to study cetacean migration patterns. A significant finding included the photo-identification of a gray whale in the Bering Sea that had previously been recorded in the waters of Baja California Sur, providing direct evidence of the annual migration between Mexican breeding lagoons and Arctic feeding grounds.

The crew also documented sightings of humpback whales, narwhals, walruses, seals, seabirds, and polar bears to assist in analyzing the environmental impacts on migratory species. Despite facing heavy winds and waves reaching six meters without ice pilots or external guides, the expedition reached its destination following extensive technical and logistical preparation.