By Bradley W. Barr, Ph.D., NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Maritime Heritage Program, Co-Principal Investigator and Chief Scientist
August 16, 2015
Video courtesy of the Search for the Lost Whaling Fleets of the Western Arctic 2015 Expedition. Download (mp4, 28.8 MB).
The Research Vessel Ukpik (pronounced “ook-pik”) was purchased by Southern Cross, LLC, in 2011 as a platform to conduct research in the Alaskan Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The vessel is 50 feet long with a 16-foot beam and 4-foot draft. It can cruise at a speed of 16 knots.
The vessel provided comfortable quarters for the Lost Whaling Fleets expedition team during their time at sea.
The name “ukpik” means “snowy owl” in Inupiat.
