Solo and unstoppable: Brazilian woman sails across the Arctic

Dubai: Brazilian navigator Tamara Klink has made maritime history, completing a solo journey through the iconic Northwest Passage—from the Atlantic to the Pacific—under dramatically changed conditions. At just 28, she became the second woman and the first Latin American to achieve the feat.

Setting sail in July, Klink covered about 6,500 km in her vessel, discovering that only around 9 % of her route was still covered by sea ice—a “very little” amount, she said, and a stark signal of shifting Arctic realities.

Her voyage comes as global temperatures reached record highs in 2024, surpassing 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, according to the United Nations. With sea ice receding in summer, smaller craft can now navigate passages once reserved for ice-breakers. Klink underscored the urgency: “this very little amount of ice … is part of a general trend of having less and less sea ice every year.”

Daughter of celebrated explorer Amyr Klink, she spent eight months wintering in Greenland before tackling the passage. “When I'm at sea … my gender does not matter,” she said. Her journey not only spotlights personal courage but the broader climate reality: an Arctic once locked in ice is becoming increasingly navigable—and vulnerable.

Video and inuts from AFP