SeaWomen's 2022 Polar Expedition to the Arctic

MY FIRST POLAR EXPEDITION!!

Aloha everyone! Welcome to my GoFundMe campaign for the November 2022 SeaWomen Expedition to the Arctic Ocean. This has been a THREE YEAR process to get to the point where we're finally ready to set off for this life-changing polar expedition to dive into the ice and swim with the Orcas in the Arctic Ocean!!

About Me:

I'm an author, speaker, master scuba diver, explorer, military widow and a mother of three young children. I lost my husband in a tragic diving accident in May 2018 while I was six months pregnant and we were living in Hawaii for his work with the US Navy. I have vowed to make every single day count since then, as well as teach my children that we only get one chance at this life, and it's up to us to make it what we want it to be. You can learn more about my journey here: www.ashleybugge.com

About the expedition:

I am beyond THRILLED to have been selected to join a team of incredibly talented sea-women from around the world on a polar expedition to the High Arctic in November 2022. I have been awarded a place on both the leadership and science teams onboard the M/V Explorer and will be focusing on extracting eDNA from water samples, carrying out genetic, acoustic and photographic identification of Orca and Humpback whales, studying and documenting ocean change under the supervision of Dr. Kirsten Muller. I will then take these findings and participate in the Women's Leadership program in Tromso, Norway to promote women in STEM careers, and to connect with the Sami women and local indigenous communities to explore scientific, environmental, societal and policy issues. 

Team Sedna are all 100% self-funded volunteers, including me, so I would really appreciate any help to make this expedition happen! 

About SeaWomen

The SeaWomen Expedition team was founded by Susan R. Eaton and is comprised of an incredibly talented and passionate team of women; ocean scientists, marine biologists, explorers, movie-makers, photographers, educators, published authors, polar divers and snorkelers. SeaWomen have hailed from around the world including; Canada, The United States, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, England, Italy, Finland, Norway and Sweden. 

The SeaWomen scout, document, and record ocean change. This involves melting glaciers, disappearing sea ice, warming waters, ocean acidification, and shifting sea life populations. 

Since 2013, SeaWomen alum have delivered their innovative ocean knowledge sharing and mobilization program to 1,000 Inuit youths, girls and elders in Labrador, Nunavut and Greenland. 

About the SeaWomen Expedition to the High Arctic

At 69 degrees North, the city of Tromso, Norway lies some 350 kilometers above the Arctic Circle and is Norway's gateway to the High Arctic. 

Photo is courtesy of expedition partner Waterproof Cruises & Expeditions and copyright of Jens Wilkstrom - Wildlife Photography.

Scientific Research of Orcas & Humpbacks

Every winter, Orca and Humpback whales congregate in northern Norwegian fjords to feed on vast schools of Herring, creating one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet!

Following the women's leadership program, Team SeaWomen will spend time at sea aboard a research vessel and will be undertaking scientific research. Some of the scientific research carried out will include the photographic, acoustic and genetic identification of Orca and Humpback whales. A team member has custom built a whale research platform names HVAL (HydroVideo Acoustic Logger) to aid in this research. Other research includes the extraction of environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples which will reveal the presence of certain species, analyzing ocean conditions, welfare and behavior studies on the whales and documenting disappearing sea ice and the effect of climate change. The data and media collected will be used in film, media, educational opportunities and workshops worldwide. 

For more information on SeaWomen, please visit: www.seawomen.com

This SeaWomen expedition is incredibly important to me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this is a once in a lifetime experience for me. I have spent the past four years mourning the loss of my husband, focusing on raising my children, working through depression and grief, finding my way back to diving and using my story of tragedy to built the life I want for myself, and for my kids to model their own after. We have been through the worst, and now I want to push myself to experience the best; including becoming a polar explorer with Team SeaWomen on this arctic expedition.  

Anticipated costs of the SeaWomen Expedition: 

Unfortunately, raising funds for polar expedition is the biggest hurdle that explorers face. The SeaWomen team has no paid employees, and volunteerism is a cornerstone of our expedition. It takes the generosity of community members, supporters and donors to send a team of women divers and snorkelers to the High Arctic.

Here is a breakdown of my anticipated expedition costs:

Live Aboard shared cabin aboard research vessel: $5500 USD.

SeaWomen Admin Fee $150 USD.

Airfare from my hometown to Tromso, Norway via Oslo $1400-$2000 USD.

Three nights hotel & meals in Tromso during transit to research vessel $600 USD.

One night hotel & meals in Oslo during transit to Tromso $200.

Miscellaneous to include taxi transfers, baggage fees, travel insurance, diving insurance, additional cold water diving training, etc $600 USD.

Your gift, no matter how big or small, will help lead the way in ocean education, help to promote women in STEM, and empower women and girls interested in artic exploration. You will enable the collection of important scientific data on Orcas, Humpbacks, ocean change, ocean chemistry, marine geology, micro-plastics and plankton. You will encourage curiosity and inspire wonder to people worldwide following this important work, and you will ignite action for all who experience and follow the SeaWomen Expedition above and below the surface. And most importantly, you will help make this dream of mine come true. 

No amount is too small and I genuinely appreciate your generosity in reading this and contributing whatever you can. 

For more information, please contact me directly at [email redacted] or on [email redacted]ge or Facebook.com/ashleybuggexo

You can also find more information about the SeaWomen team at:

www.seawomen.com or on Instagram @SeaWomenExpeditions or on Facebook.com/seawomenexpeditions.

MAHALO!!! <3 

-Ashley Bugge