Collaborating for change: Creating a footprint we can be proud of
It’s been almost 130 years since we became expedition cruising pioneers. Through this history, we understand the huge responsibility that comes with our sailing.
Through the years, we have seen the changes happening around the world up close. To help battle the increasing change in climate, plastic waste in the oceans, and unsustainable mass tourism, we must do our part and ensure that our core value of sustainability is integrated across all our operations.
The Hurtigruten Foundation is a collaboration between the Hurtigruten Group and its passengers, partners, suppliers, organizations, and donors to make an actual difference. The Hurtigruten Foundation was established at the end of 2015. We are proud of our achievements!
Total donated to date: NOK 4,300,000
Projects: 41
Countries: 11
Hurtigruten Foundation, in connection with Hurtigruten Expeditions, will donate 1% of all new North American bookings made in November and December for Alaska and the Galápagos to Alaska Wilderness League and Galápagos Conservancy, respectively.
The donation to Alaska Wilderness League will help protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, located in Alaska’s northeast corner, and other wildlife reserves.
The donation to Galápagos Conservancy will be used to restore Giant Tortoise populations, strengthen the Galápagos marine reserve, and go towards saving pink land iguanas.
Fascinating research conducted in the Arctic reveals hidden truths about our whole planet, yet few people ever hear them. This inspired Maria Philippa Rossi to bridge the gap with a groundbreaking book.
Researchers from the Universidad de Los Andes joined Hurtigruten’s state-of-the-art ship, MS Fram, to inspire passengers to actively participate in scientific observations that deepen our knowledge of these elusive cetaceans.
For some, the striking views of fjords and mountains from the summit of Storfjellet are tantalizingly out of reach. This has inspired the Friends of the North Cape Steps to employ the unique skills of Nepalese Sherpas.
The Hurtigruten Foundation has joined forces with charities, governments, and Indigenous people to lend this beautiful creature a helping hand.
As invasive species threaten the magnificent biodiversity of the Galápagos Archipelago, the Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco is fighting back with the help of the Hurtigruten Foundation.
In April 2021, a group of female scientists called the ‘Climate Sentinels’ set out on a 280-mile research expedition in Svalbard, using skis as their primary mode of transportation. Read more about the expedition
Since 1924, The Association of Greenlandic Children has aimed to make life better for Greenlandic children by focusing on education and self-esteem building, and more, to help them grow to their full potential in the long term. Read more
After a fatal avalanche hit Longyearbyen in Svalbard in 2015, a group of dog-loving volunteers founded Norwegian Search and Rescue Dogs Svalbard. Read more
In the November 2021 application round, we received more applications than ever before. Read more about the seven new projects receiving funding
Read more about how the Hurtigruten Foundation has helped South Georgia Heritage Trust by eradicating rats on South Georgia and saving birds that were nearly extinct.
Read more about how we have learned about tracking Antarctic penguins: What we can learn from one species’ growing numbers while others are in decline
We fund and collaborate on projects that bring awareness and action to vulnerable ecosystems and threatened wildlife.
Preserving endangered wildlife
Battling plastic waste and marine litter
Supporting local and global projects in the areas where we operate
We also want to show you some of the impressive projects and inspiring work from these collaborations. Here are some of our important projects that were made possible through funding and involvement from the Hurtigruten Foundation:
| Name of organization | Project | Year granted | Amount (NOK) | Location |
| South Georgia Heritage Trust | Habitat Restoration Project | 2016 | 100 964 | South Georgia |
| The Association of Greenlandic Children | Sapiik | 2016 | 100 964 | Greenland |
| UK Antarctica Heritage Trust | Maintaining Antarctic cultural heritage | 2016 | 43 270 | Antarctica |
| Clean Coast | Beach cleaning project | 2016 | 50 000 | Norway |
| Svolvær | City of Lights | 2017 | 40 000 | Norway |
| Benjamin Vidar | Polar Permaculture | 2018 | 50 000 | Svalbard |
| Nordkapp og Omegn turlag | Maintenance of mountain trails in Honningsvåg | 2018 | 50 000 | Norway |
| Ørsta Næringskontor | Grindaløde på Haukåssætra på Urke | 2018 | 50 000 | Norway |
| Hanna Saiminen Klæboe | Hurtigruten Ambassador | 2018 | 1 972 | Norway |
| South Georgia Heritage Trust | Habitat Restoration Project | 2018 | 102 000 | South Georgia |
| Polar Citizen Science Collective | To make science more available, enjoyable and impactful to polar travellers. Enhance level of polar citizen science. | 2018 | 80 000 | Arctic |
| Eco Pantao | Plastic recycling and waste management in the Phillipines | 2019 | 60 000 | Phillipines |
| Eirik Audunson Skaar & Corey Morris | The Plastic Crab - Art and knowledge against marine plastic | 2019 | 50 000 | Norway |
| Hearts in the Ice | The first women in history to overwinter in the Arctic | 2019 | 50 000 | Svalbard |
| Norguide | Glacier Rephotography on Svalbard- visualising Climate Change | 2019 | 107 400 | Svalbard |
| Norwegian Rescue Dogs | Training of avalanche rescue dogs on Svalbard | 2019 | 200 000 | Svalbard |
| Svalbard Turn | Neither bird nor fish - in a sea of plastic | 2019 | 60 000 | Svalbard |
| Challenges of Antarctica | Challenges of Antarctica 2020 Expedition | 2019 | 50 000 | Antarctica |
| The Association of Greenlandic Children | Sapiik | 2019 | 100 000 | Greenland |
| Naturvernforbundet i Sør-Varanger | Prestøy Liftup | 2019 | 10 000 | Norway |
| Oceans Initiative | Southern Resident Killer Whale Conservation in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S and Canada | 2019 | 100 000 | USA |
| Perleporten Kulturhus | Capo Nord- establishment of ensemble in the North Cape Region | 2019 | 75 000 | Norway |
| Hjelmsøy Velforening | Hjelmsøytreff | 2019 | 90 000 | Norway |
| Lenvik Municipality | Parked piano | 2019 | 6 000 | Norway |
| SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography & Hurtigruten Science Programme | Molecular Learning Laboratory | 2019 | 30 280 | Onboard |
| Sea Skrova | Sea Skrova Ocean Festival | 2019 | 50 000 | Norway |
| Disko Arts Festival | Disko Arts Festival on Greenland 2019 | 2019 | 191 556 | Greenland |
| Nordkapp og Omegn turlag | Skipsfjorden Outdoor Area | 2019 | 100 000 | Norway |
| South Georgia Heritage Trust | Enriching the Visitor Experience at Grytviken | 2019 | 112 623 | South Georgia |
| The Association of Greenlandic Children | Sapiik | 2020 | 100 000 | Greenland |
| World Wildlife Federation (WWF) | Plastic in the Ocean | 2020 | 200 000 | Global |
| Norwegian Sea Rescue Society / Redningsselskapet | Safety along the Norwegian coastline | 2020 | 200 000 | Norway |
| Artist Erika Kimberly | Restoration of Iconic Midnight Sun Shoe Mosaic in Honningsvåg | 2020 | 40 000 | Norway |
| Træna Kommune | Voluntary Week Træna (Dugnadsuke Træna) | 2020 | 100 000 | Norway |
| RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) | Gough Island Restoration | 2020 | 100 000 | Gough Island / Tristan da Cunha |
| Climate Sentinels | Climate Sentinels expedition | 2020 | 90 000 | Svalbard |
| California Oceans Alliance Organisation | Determining the amount of plastic exposure in the world’s largest predators in the most remote wilderness on the planet | 2020 | 88 000 | Antarctica |
| Oceanites | Changes in the Vastly Warmed Antarctic Peninsula | 2020 | 183 248 | Antarctica |
| The Association of Greenlandic Children | Sapiik | 2021 | 100 000 | Greenland |
| Oceanites, Inc. | Changes in the Vastly Warmed Antarctic Peninsula | 2021 | 183 248 | Antarctica |
| RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) | Gough Island Restoration | 2021 | 100 000 | Gough Island / Tristan da Cunha |
| Kulturskolen | Støtte til nye instrumenter (Navnseremoni - FN) | 2021 | 30 000 | Svalbard |
| Projects chosen by Hearts in the Ice | 2021 | 45 000 | Svalbard | |
| Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco | Protection of the critically endangered Galapagos Petrel | 2021 | 84 168 | Galapagos |
| Honningsvåg Turn og Idrettsforening & Nordkapptrappas venner (Friends of the North Cape Steps) | Construction of the North Cape Steps | 2021 | 100 000 | Norway |
| Maria Rossi (Individual) | Book project: On thin ice | 2021 | 75 000 | Svalbard |
| Oceans Initiative | Southern Resident Killer Whale Conservation in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S and Canada | 2021 | 44 500 | |
| The Municipality of Cambridge Bay | Itqaumavit (A Place of Memories) Welcome Park | 2021 | 100 000 | Canada |
| Universidad de los Andes | Marine Mammal Conservation in Antarctica: a Citizen Science Initiative | 2021 | 75 000 | Antarctica |
| Ushuaia te abraza | Knowing our birds and environment | 2021 | 21 306 | Argentina |
| California Oceans Alliance | Giving Tuesday | 2021 | 2 400 | USA |
In addition to direct donations, Hurtigruten Foundation's funds come from activities on board and at our hotels, such as auctions, fundraisers and Hurtigruten's "Green Stay" program. For every day you choose not to have your cabin or room cleaned, we will make a donation to the Hurtigruten Foundation. In addition, it helps to reduce the consumption of energy, detergents and water.
With minimal administrative expenses, the entire profit from the Hurtigruten Foundation goes to organizations and individuals who make a positive contribution to the areas where Hurtigruten operates. The foundation's board grants support twice a year.
Please download the application form and send it to [email protected].
Being the world leader in expedition travel comes with a responsibility we take very seriously.
Through our common admiration and love for the oceans, wildlife, local communities, and pristine destinations we explore, we invite you to join us by applying to the Hurtigruten Foundation, so we can work together to help protect these vulnerable environments and communities.
