Exceptional Darwin Leaders to drive global change over the coming decades
CHANGE THE WORLD
Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery to re-trace Charles Darwin’s voyage around the globe.
CHANGE THE WORLD
Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery to re-trace Charles Darwin’s voyage around the globe.
OUR MISSION
DARWIN200 is a planetary conservation initiative which aims to change the world for the better.
We are sailing a historic tallship around the world following Charles Darwin’s voyage aboard HIMS Beagle two centuries ago.
Using our ship as a floating laboratory and media platform, we will harness the legacy of Charles Darwin’s passion for natural history to engage worldwide audiences and advance global conservation.
Discover our project goals below & join our mission.
Where are we on our Global Voyage?
Our journey will consist of 32 voyage legs and we will be making landfall at key locations where Charles Darwin stepped ashore. But where are we now….
50.3755° N, 4.1427° W
DEPARTED
15th AUG
2023
FROM
PLYMOUTH UK
01
GOAL 1
EMPOWER
Train exceptional DARWIN, LEADERS, one from each of 200 countries and states around the world. These young conservationists will become tomorrow’s environmental leaders.
02
GOAL 2
INSPIRE
Create the WORLD’S MOST EXCITING CLASSROOM to reconnect global audiences with nature, science and conservation.
03
GOAL 3
solve
Undertake citizen science RESEARCH PROJECTS tackling many of the world’s most critical environmental problems to engage global audiences in practical solutions.
DARWIN Leaders
DARWIN200 is selecting the world’s top young (18+ year old) conservationists – one from each of two hundred countries and states around the world.
These exceptional young conservationists (known as ‘Darwin Leaders’) are carefully chosen for their abilities, initiative and determination. Many have already accomplished inspiring conservation feats (such as setting up projects to save endangered species or efforts to educate audiences in their home countries). All show the raw, burning passion to protect the natural world and drive positive change for a better future.
From August 2023 to July 2025, groups of 4-8 Darwin Leaders will travel to our ship in each of the ports Charles Darwin visited, using our ship as a floating laboratory and media platform.
World’s Most Exciting Classroom
During the DARWIN200 2023-2025 Global Voyage, our goal is to engage with millions of students at schools across the planet via continuous streams of free online activities, research projects, experiments, lectures, competitions and weekly ‘nature hour’ events.
We call these outreach activities ‘the world’s most exciting classroom’.
All our outreach activities will be completely free of charge for students, teachers and the general public. Our goal is to engage 200 million students worldwide during our two-year global voyage and for years to come.
Research
In continuation of Charles Darwin’s work aboard HMS Beagle, the DARWIN200 ship will offer a unique platform to support 8 research projects into many of the world’s most critical environmental problems. Results will be displayed via live data feeds, results presentations, online lectures and interviews with the professional teams of researchers behind each initiative.
12.02.1809 – 19.04.1882
CHARLES DARWIN
In 1831, at the age of 22, Charles Darwin stepped aboard HMS Beagle in Plymouth, England to being a five year journey around the world. DARWIN200 builds on Charles Darwin’s legacy to educate global audiences about the threats our planet faces and the inspiring conservation work that can save the natural world.
FACTS &
FIGURES
200
200
Million
Reaching 200 million students worldwide
50
Meter
Historic tall ship Oosterschelde
32
Voyage Legs
8
Interactive Citizen Science Research Projects
2023
Voyage starts
The Global Voyage will be undertaken aboard the historic 50 metre long tall ship Oosterschelde. Built in 1918, this uniquely restored, three masted schooner is one of the most beautiful historic vessels afloat.
press releases
We`re still not over sailing through the Ice-Cold Majesty of Drygalski Fjord ❄️ Gliding through the breathtaking Drygalski Fjord, we found ourselves surrounded by towering glaciers and dramatic cliffs that seem to whisper stories of the past.
This is nature at its most raw and powerful, a place where time slows down, and the sheer scale of the landscape leaves you in awe.
Video credit: Josh Clarke
#Darwin200 #DrygalskiFjord #SouthGeorgia #SailingExpedition #GlacialWilderness #AdventureAtSea #oosterschelde
When sailing into the dramatic Drygalski Fjord, we found ourselves surrounded by towering glacial walls and sheer cliffs that seemed to rise endlessly from the water. The Oosterschelde looked almost tiny against this breathtaking Antarctic landscape, a reminder of nature’s immense scale and power. ❄️🌊
With mist clinging to the peaks and the ice radiating an eerie blue glow, the fjord felt like a world untouched by time – silent, wild, and utterly humbling.
Photo credit: @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #SailingExpedition #DrygalskiFjord #SouthGeorgia #Oosterschelde #AdventureAtSea
Join Episode 75 of the World`s Most Exciting Classroom! 🧭🐋
Sailing across the Atlantic
The Oosterschelde has left South Georgia and is crossing the Atlantic on its way to Cape Town, and we’ve got an incredible episode lined up for you!
Tomorrow, Thursday, 20th March
9 AM Eastern | 1 PM UK Time
Watch live or later on YouTube via the link in our bio.
Join us for;
A Live ship update from the Oosterschelde on its Atlantic crossing
Expedition to Arctic Svalbard – meet Andreas B. Heide and his crew as they push the limits of Arctic climate research aboard the 37ft Barba
Special feature from the Ocean Exploration Trust on the seagrass ecosystem
A fun science experiment you can try in your classroom
Play Kahoot & win a $50 gift card for your class!
Curiosity of the Week & more!
Don`t miss this adventure! Share with your students, colleagues & fellow explorers! 🌍⚓
#Darwin200 #Expedition #Oosterschelde #Sailing #Science #OceanExploration #ClimateChange #Wildlife #Education #STEM
🌤️ A Calmer Day at Sea ⛵
After days of strong winds and icy temperatures, the Southern Ocean has finally given us a breather. The wind has eased, and the temperatures have warmed a little.
With gentler seas and a break from the biting cold, we’re soaking in the beauty of our surroundings and making the most of this peaceful passage. A rare moment of calm before the next great adventure!
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #SouthernOcean #SailingExpedition #WeatherAtSea #AdventureAwaits #OceanLife
Iceberg on the Rocks – A True Explorer’s Toast! 🧊🥃
As we sailed through the icy wilderness of South Georgia, surrounded by towering glaciers and floating sculptures of blue ice, we couldn’t resist an age-old explorer’s tradition – a Shackleton whisky toast with ice straight from an iceberg!
Just as Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew once navigated these remote waters, we honour the spirit of adventure and resilience, raising a glass to the wild beauty of the Southern Ocean. There’s something surreal about sipping on history, the ancient ice crackling in the glass as we sail into the unknown.
Photo credit: @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #ShackletonWhisky #IcebergOnTheRocks #SailingAdventure #SouthGeorgia #ExplorerSpirit #oosterschelde
Last week as the Oosterschelde anchored in King Edward Cove, passengers stepped ashore to explore the historic Grytviken whaling station. There, they had the chance to meet with local scientists and government officials – and, of course, they were greeted by the ever-curious King Penguins, the true residents of South Georgia! 🐧🏔️
Photo credit: @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #oosterschelde
Giants of Gold Harbour! 🏔
Last week, we stepped onto the shores of Gold Harbour, South Georgia, and found ourselves in the company of true titans of the animal kingdom! 🦭
While the King Penguin colony stole the show with its sea of golden-feathered elegance, the real heavyweights of the beach were the Southern Elephant Seals—colossal, blubbery beasts that can reach up to six meters long and tip the scales at a whopping four tons! 🤯
Watching these giants lounge, battle for territory, and bellow their deep, echoing calls was an unforgettable reminder of the wild, untamed beauty of this part of the world. 🌊💙
Photo credit: @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #SouthGeorgia #ElephantSeals #WildlifeEncounter #GoldHarbour #SailingAdventure #oosterschelde
Looking back at this incredible moment when the Oosterschelde anchored in St Andrews Bay, surrounded by glaciers, rugged peaks, and thousands of King Penguins. One of the most breathtaking and remote places we’ve visited on this voyage.
Hard to believe we were here just days ago. What`s been your favourite place we have visited so far? 🏔️🐧
Photo credit @joshclarkephotos
#Darwin200 #StAndrewsBay #SouthGeorgia #SailingAdventure #oosterschelde
It’s been a week since we said goodbye to South Georgia and what a wet and wild week it has been! The conditions have made life on board tough. We’ve had strong winds and huge waves. Our journey was extended by a few hundreds miles as sailed east instead of north to avoid a huge ice field but the camaraderie of everyone on board means that everybody is still in good spirits!
Yesterday we changed our course and are now heading north, in the direction of Tristan de Cunha. Slowly the air is starting to warm and better weather feels like it is just over the horizon. Let’s see what the next week has in store for us!
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #oosterschelde #charlesdarwin #sailingadventure #adventureawaits #conservation #globalvoyage #globalvoyage #exploretheworld #historicjourney #sailingexperience #atlanticocean
The bustling Gold Harbour in South Georgia is a stunning location. Tens of thousands of penguins, playful fur seals and lazy elephant seals with a backdrop of snowy mountains, glaciers and beautiful golden light. What’s not to love? This is surely a day we won’t be forgetting anytime soon
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #oosterschelde #charlesdarwin #sailingadventure #adventureawaits #conservation #globalvoyage #globalvoyage #exploretheworld #historicjourney #sailingexperience #southgeorgia #goldharbour #kingpenguin #penguin #elephantseal
Our final morning in South Georgia started cold and wet. We made our way to the southern tip of the island, to visit the beautiful Drygalski Fjord. With the crew on iceberg watch, the ship was joined by seals, penguins and albatross as the captain carefully navigated between floating islands of ice. We made our way into the fjord, being stopped only by a dense ice field. Despite the rain, the calm weather in the sheltered fjord meant that we were able to put our zodiac in the water and give our guests one last view of the Oosterschelde amongst the unrivalled landscapes of South Georgia. What an incredible way to say goodbye to what has to be one of the most special places on our planet. Next stop, Tristan da Cunha!
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #oosterschelde #charlesdarwin #sailingadventure #adventureawaits #conservation #globalvoyage #globalvoyage #exploretheworld #historicjourney #sailingexperience #southgeorgia #drygalskifjord #iceberg
After some failed landing attempts at some other locations due to extreme katabatic winds rushing down the mountains, our crew and guests were able to go ashore to visit one of South Georgia’s legendary king penguin colonies at Gold Harbour. Along with the colony of tens of thousands of king penguins, the beach is also populated by playful (and sometimes over confident) Antarctic fur seals and enormous elephant seals that can get up to 6 meters long and weigh up to 4 tons!
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #oosterschelde #charlesdarwin #sailingadventure #adventureawaits #conservation #globalvoyage #globalvoyage #exploretheworld #historicjourney #sailingexperience #southgeorgia #goldharbour #kingpenguin #penguin #elephantseal
Celebrating the Women Shaping Our World ✨🌍
This International Women’s Day, we honour the remarkable women who drive DARWIN200 forward – from our Darwin Leaders, Oosterschelde crew, guests, PR and marketing teams, filmmakers, and supporters, to our inspiring patrons, including Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. @sarah.darwin , and many more.
But today is about more than just our project. It’s about celebrating women across the world – especially those who have redefined the field of natural history and dedicated their lives to exploring, protecting, and telling the story of our planet. From pioneering oceanographers to leading primatologists, biologists, conservationists, and activists, these women inspire future generations to take action for the natural world. 🌱🐋
Thank you for leading the way.💙
#IWD #InternationalWomensDay #Darwin200 #WomenInScience #WomenInConservation #SheShapesTheWorld #WomenExplorers #oosterschelde
After weeks at sea, it`s the little moments that matter most – the shared laughter, a helping hand, interesting conversations, quiet pauses to take in the view, and stories passed between crew, guests, and staff. The amazing people we`ve met along this Global Adventure are a big part of what makes the DARWIN200 project so special. #crewlife #onboardstories #sailingadventure #darwin200 #oosterschelde
At about 9:15 yesterday morning, we got our first view of South Georgia, as the high peaks of its snowy mountains began to appear through the mist. By lunchtime, the fog had lifted and the legendary landscapes of South Georgia accompanied us all the way to Grytviken, where we were met with heavy gusts rolling down from the mountains, making our anchoring procedure quite tricky. With the efforts of all the crew, we were able to spend the night in King Edward cove, ready to spend our first day on shore in Grytviken the following day.
📸 @joshclarkephotos
#darwin200 #oosterschelde #charlesdarwin #sailingadventure #adventureawaits #conservation #globalvoyage #globalvoyage #exploretheworld #historicjourney #sailingexperience #southgeorgia #grytviken
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