This poem features a collaboration between Anthony Lovell and Ingrid Lung as part of The One Million Poetry’s “Wildly Creatives” collaborative projects in support of wildlife awareness and conservation. It takes the form of an ARTISTIC LOGBOOK mixing photography, illustration and poetry and depicts a trip in the fjords of Norway for travel adventure company Latitude Blanche. The trip allowed us to observe Humpback Whales and Orcas in particular.

In December 2022, Ingrid embarked aboard the Polarfront, a small-size boat of Norwegian construction with a lot of history as it was the last weather ship remaining in the world. The boat was transformed by two French sailors passionate about navigation and the Arctic circle to allow people to experience these regions in high latitudes - their environment, their wildlife, their people and their culture.

Anthony translated the travel notes into a poem “The Whaleboat” brought to life pictorially by Ingrid through the photographs and logbook of the trip + pencil illustrations of the whales. The result is a homage to the humpback whales whose population has made a remarkable recovery within a few decades after being near extinction thanks to whaling bans. It is important to tell the positive stories too!

“Small-size” travel experiences like this one are very precious in our eyes because they have the merit to bring you closer to nature and wildlife in a very respectful and sustainable way. The boat has been built on that premise.  For anyone passionate about nature and wildlife, or in need to reconnect with the natural life force and beauty of our world, there is nothing better than going on an expedition like this one which took us to the northern fjords of the Norwegian Sea above the polar circle.

Special thanks to LATITUDE BLANCHE and its original founders Sophie Galvagnon and Yann Le Bellec for having allowed us to experience the magic and enduring legacy offered by the Polarfront.