Musto partners with Norwegian expedition yacht on a quest to promote ocean conservation

Musto partners with Norwegian expedition yacht on a quest to promote ocean conservation © Musto

Leading technical performance clothing brand, Musto, has joined forces with Norwegian expedition yacht, Barba, in an ongoing conservation project to find and study orca, humpback and sperm whales off the coast of Arctic Norway.

Striving to kick start conversations around ocean health and environmental concerns, the project aims to use the whales as 'ocean ambassadors' to inspire people to engage with the planet.

Marine biologist Andreas B. Heide leads the mission, backed up by an alternating crew of scientists, journalists, videographers and photographers. Heide's fourth winter in the Norwegian Arctic, he and his team will be at sea from 14th October 2019 to mid-February 2020.

Explaining the concept of the project, Heide said: "There are few animals out there that inspire so much enthusiasm and thrill as orcas. They are the human equivalent in the ocean - they're highly intelligent, social animals, moving in family groups with up to four generations in each pod. They are complex and fascinating to us, and we hope that our studies of them will fascinate others too.

"We need to be more engaged with the natural world," he continued. "Using these whales to capture the attention of the public encourages conversations around ocean health and environmental changes. We are campaigning in a different way - raising awareness through visual and literary storytelling," he concluded.

Navigating beyond the Arctic Circle, the crew will brave temperatures as low as minus 20. Musto provides the backbone of the protective gear used, with their industry-leading HPX Gore-tex Pro Ocean products acting as the important outer shell against the environment.

"We chose to work with Musto because we needed high quality gear that lasts," explained Heide. "I bought Musto kit when I first started sailing around 10 years ago and I've never looked back. They produce hard-wearing products that are able to withstand some of the toughest conditions. Without them, our expedition would be much more difficult."

Nick Houchin, Head of Marketing at Musto, is pleased to be working with Heide and the crew onboard Barba. "We are thrilled to make a difference to this expedition through our durable products, perfect for the adventurer and explorer. To be involved in such a meaningful project is important to us, especially as a brand that operates within sailing and cares greatly about ocean health. We wish Andreas and his crew every success on their Arctic missions."

For more information on Musto's involvement with Barba boat, please visit www.musto.com