iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Big Anniversary! 40 years ago, I rode my bicycle out of Okoboji Iowa and began a year-long 11,000-mile journey biking the backroads of #America. Looking for some Americana on our 250th? Pls check out my story on Substack in the comments. Pls ck out the #adventure #Film #Photography #Travel

161

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Happy #scape Day from the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson, #Arizona Beautiful #photography here and great recreation. #EastCoastKin

2182

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

With #Arctic sea ice tracking at record lows going into the summer melt season it’s a good reminder, I witnessed and documented the first great sea ice loss and tipping point 19 yrs ago #sailing the #NorthwestPassage #ProtectTheArctic #Photography #ClimateChangeIsReal

August 2007, Beaufort Sea. sv Cloud Nine. 1st Americans

0112

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

It’s times like these I’d rather be #sailing. Someplace cold and exciting. Anyone else?

091

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

From paddling Minnesota’s pristine Boundary Waters to disrupting the migratory patterns of 200,000 Porcupine Caribou in our Arctic Refuge, it’s wilderness protection, public lands and recreation vs Big Oil and extraction. Pick a side. The battle is on. #ProtectPublicLands and #Wilderness #Arctic

Please read my in depth story on Substack where I go into further depth on the threats to our public lands and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge including a side trip on a documentary photo mission into the ancient Gwich'in village of Old Crow Yukon. https://thoreson.substack.com/p/red-alert-your-public-lands-are-under

050

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Melissa has now gone through 2 rapid intensifications with winds at 185 mph (gusting 215+) n a low pressure reading of 992 mb, making this the 3rd strongest hurricane recorded in the Atlantic Ocean system. Storm surge 9-13 feet w heavy rain n high tide conditions. Worst case scenario for Jamaica.

000

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Less #Seaice in the Arctic means more shipping in the Northern Sea Route, which Putin controls. Until the USA understands climate disruption, we are at a strategic disadvantage.

090

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 31/08/2025

16 years ago, I was the photographer and ice sailing expert on Ocean Watch sailing through the #NorthwestPassage from west to east. I shot this image near Bellot Strait as we were putting the passage behind us. Now a new One Ocean #sailing voyage is retracing our route to document enviro change.

Ocean Watch sails through the Northwest Passage in 2009 on a 28,000-mile circumnavigation of the Americas. Seattle to Seattle. Now a new circumnavigation is underway with the same captain Mark Schrader retracing our voyage and doing scientific research along the way.
https://oneislandoneocean.com/crew

0144

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Hey BlueSky friends, sorry about my absence from the platform for a while. Long story, but I’m back. We are in some real trouble in regards to the #climatecrisis luckily my friends @climatechris.bsky.social and @michaelemann.bsky.social are all over it.

030

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

The Puamau Valley is one of the richest archaeological sites in French Polynesia with many mysterious Tiki stone statues on the island of Hiva Oa.

080

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

I’m back from #sailing the Pacific. “Along with ocean currents circulating warm and cold water, this is our natural heating, and air conditioning system, which provides the stability for all life to exist on Planet Earth. Man-made #climatechange is disrupting these natural systems…” #Photography

0130

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

We sailed 2900 miles on Polar Sun and finally crossed the Evans made it into Hiva Oa in the French Marquesas Islands. Spectacular! #Travel #Sailing #Oceans #Adventure #Photography

2322

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Sailing across the Pacific Ocean and had a very beautiful #Seascape last evening.

1110

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Sailing through the doldrums near the equator. Lots of heat and rain. Slow progress. 190 nautical miles to our crossing. About 1000 miles to the Marquesas Islands. #Ocean #Sailing #Landscape #BlackandWhite

1190

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 25/04/2025

We have a stowaway on Polar Sun now as we head to the Equator, a blue-footed booby! Been on board with us for 12 hours hanging out. #ocean #nature #Bird #photography #sailing

2323

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

We left Mexico from Barra de Navidad n headed west and slightly south, #sailing 3000 miles now across the Pacific Ocean on a 47' sailboat named Polar Sun. We went through the Northwest Passage and were the cover of Nat Geo in 2023. Awesome days on the #ocean. #Photography #Drone #landscape #explore

0211

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Happy Earth Day 🌎 everyone from the Pacific #Ocean. Celebrate the the magic to be found in nature. This lovely home planet is 70% water and it’s all threatened, our oceans and freshwater systems. Let’s all work hard in our own watersheds and support conservation and climate efforts as we can.

061

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

Last evening was special sailing in the Pacific #Ocean to the French Marquesas Islands. Wing and wing sail set for dead downwind in the NE Trade Winds. Both Big Dipper and Southern Cross in view last night. Magical. #Sailing #Photography #Nature #Seascape #Travel #Adventure

0311

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Sailing and climate meet at the equator. As we sail across the Pacific in the NE trade winds it’s important to note these NE/SE trades force air into the convergence zone at the equator where it’s heated, lifted and redistributed back towards the poles. Our very own unique #climate system. #Nature

0140

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

We are now officially at sea! That’s the last land we’ll see for the next 3000 miles as we now sail from the western Mexico coast to the French Marquesas Islands. I’ll be posting along the way. Cheers mates!! #Sailing #Ocean #Photography

4301

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Sailing in the tropics and over the Equator on Ocean Watch on the Around the Americas expedition in 2009-10. 400 days at sea. Partnering with the Canadians on research and science. Oh for those old days. Ocean and sea educational program built with NSF. #Ocean #Science #Climate #Sailing #Nature

2223

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Looking forward to sailing into the tropics again. The clouds and colors are magical. A little hot for me, but a last voyage on my bucket list- Sail across the Pacific to the French Marquesas Islands. Inspired by Thor Heyerdahl's Kontiki as a kid. Amazing. #Photography #Sailing #Ocean #Nature #Sea

1303

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

Hope you've enjoyed one of my many polar sailing stories. Shifting gears. I'm pretty fired up to get back to the tropics and sail over the Equator again to the French Marquesas Islands. 3000-mile crossing. Journey begins next week... #Sailing #Ocean #Equator #Travel #Tropics #Seascape

0212

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Do you know that wind energy and water quality are related? Wind turbines produce over 50xs the energy per acre than growing corn for ethanol. The massive increase in corn production is polluting water in the Midwest and sending it downstream. My latest on Substack. substack.com/@davidthores...

0100

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Our sail across the North Atlantic from Greenland to Ireland was fast as we followed in the tail of a hurricane. We settled in near Cork n our northern voyage had ended. I made 11 ocean voyages on Cloud Nine, this was the second. A new voyage begins across the South Pacific in two weeks. #Sailing

2171

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Our sailing trip to Greenland and the #NorthwestPassage in 1994 was historic and enlightening. Our time in all the small villages was profoundly meaningful and the seascape with all the icebergs was a magical time. #GreenlandIsNotForSale #ProtectTheArctic #Explore #Photography #Seascape #Nature

1281

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Just a reminder I’m telling a story of the “normal” Arctic sea ice I witnessed and documented on our 1994 #NorthwestPassage and the record loss of ice I’ve continued to document over 3 decades. #ClimateChangeIsReal #ProtectTheArctic #GreenlandIsNotForSale #Photography

0131

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Reflecting on the 1994 #NorthwestPassage voyage. We were turned back, but witnessed the last normal period of sea ice in human history. Now lost 75% of our North Polar ice cap by volume due to #ClimateChange. Of our crew of six, three of my mates have now died, including Geoff Pope on his last ice.

080

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

We prepared Cloud Nine for the North Atlantic crossing and let the storm pass. As we made our exit from East #Greenland we witnessed our last iceberg and knew that our sailing expedition to the north had ended, but new horizons awaited. #Sailing #Seascape #Scape #Travel #Photography #Explore #Ice

0210

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Before exiting for the North Atlantic we stopped to visit #Greenland Command. They told us of an approaching hurricane and an old WWII submarine hideout in the rocks which we could ride out the storm inside. We cross tied and prepared for the storm. #Photography #Adventure #Travel #Explore #Sailing

2213

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

after some food with and beverages with the Danish Navy, we decided that we would not sail south back to US waters but continue east and sail across the North Atlantic to Ireland. First, we would motor through the southern tip of Greenland called Prince Christian Sound. Hurricane approaching.

2142

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

Our crew of five was so happy to make it back to the West Coast of #Greenland as somehow we felt safe and at home amongst the icebergs and wonderful local people. #GreenlandIsNotForSale #ProtectTheArctic

0161

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Our weary crew returned to #Greenland where we were met by the Danish Naval vessel that helped us with routing to the north and west to get through the ice and into the CAN Arctic. They invited us to dinner aboard that evening. Wow! What an night we had! #Photography #Landscape #ProtectTheArctic

1321

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

In 1994, our retreat out of the #NorthwestPassage got very dangerous w fog, sea ice n bergy bits. We has observed a "normal" northern polar ice pack. Upon return in 2007, we discovered a 40% loss of ice in just 13 years. That story coming to BlueSky soon. #ClimateChange #Photography #Nikon #Film

1411

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Cloud Nine sailed back out into Baffin Bay and bent off south with magnificent icebergs standing guard near the entrance. The beauty and power of nature was real. #Nature #Arctic #Nikon #Photography #Iceberg #Sailing #Seascape #Scape #EastCoastKin

0441

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

The retreat back to Greenland was long n cold. We were beaten up n exhausted as we crossed Baffin Bay. Want to be a polar sailor? Geoff n Rona were two of the best. They are both gone now. I miss them terribly. Cheers you two! #Sailing #Arctic #Ice #Friends #Photography #Explore #Adventure #travel

Two great sailors and explorers, Geoff Pope, left, and Rona House. Geoff was in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest canoe trip ever, over 7000 miles from NYC to Nome, AK, in 1937. Rona, a British mathematician, solo-circumnavigated in a 29-foot sailboat.

2350

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

We were very sad leaving the Arctic knowing we did not achieve our dream of the Northwest Passage but we gave it our best shot. Now the long retreat as the short summer ended, sailing south back to Greenland n across the cold N Atlantic. #BlueSkyArtShow #Scape #Landscape #Photography #Arctic #Film

1241

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Sorry Bluesky, I’ve been traveling n speaking about #climatechange and behind on my story! In 1994, we had to retreat from the #NorthwestPassage with our French friends but managed one last hike ashore and a dinner together on Cloud Nine. We would now sail back to #Greenland. #Arctic #Photography

0150

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

I had a great time presenting about the urgency of climate action at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, last evening. Beautiful campus and randomly my two hosts were both from Minnesota! Jessie, left, and George are tremendous young leaders who give me hope. #ActOnClimate

090

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

On the way to meet our French friends in Erik Harbor for a last meal and stories, we stopped in the Inuit town on the way named Pond Inlet, Nunavut, a village of 1500 people. Geoff Pope, our 81 year old explorer made some young friends quickly once ashore.

1130

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Good #Stunday night BlueSky. We could all use a little chill from the Patagonian Fiords of southern Chile 🇨🇱 After rounding Cape Horn the peace and solitude was welcome. #Reflection #Landscape #Nature #Photography #Sailing #Peace

1432

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

The retreat was very difficult traveling east out of the Lancaster Sound and away from our goal of the #NorthwestPassage But now we have our French friends on our minds and a last dinner in a secluded fiord ahead. #Photography #Film #Nikon F3 #Explore #Arctic #Nature #Landscape #Seascape #Ice

0322

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Cloud Nine began the long slog back out of the #NorthwestPassage to the east to Baffin Bay. We had a surprise contact with our friends on the French boat Back of the Moon. We decided to rendezvous in a remote bay to share a meal and stories of survival. #Photography #Film #Nikon #Arctic #Seascape

0331

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

The crew enjoyed a brief time ashore for a quick chat with locals, hot meal n a shower. The crew discussed another try or retreating. Every expedition faces a “Go, No Go” moment of clarity. We decided we would abandon the 1994 quest for the #NorthwestPassage n would retreat to the east. Heartbroken

1131

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Zack is my favorite young #climate scientists and my go to for climate communication graphics. Please read this and react. We have to create a fund for scientists to preserve this time stamp and resist with every morsel of our soul. #Resist #ActOnClimate #ClimateChange #ProtectTheArctic

180

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Our crew of five was happy that we were not crushed in the ice or frozen in for the season in some horrible situation like the infamous Franklin Expedition. All 129 men died when they were hopelessly frozen in the ice of the #NorthwestPassage. #History #Explore #Arctic #Mystery #Storytelling

3151

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Following Canadian Coast Guard directions, Cloud Nine picked its way through dense #seaice solving the 15-mile puzzle n found Resolute Harbor relatively free of ice. We moored to a grounded ice floe n took the dinghy in for a meal n hot shower. 520 miles north of the #Arctic Circle. #Photography

0181

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

A rat in a maze is how I described our predicament. We had to escape the ice. A Canadian Coast Guard chopper relayed info that an open lead to the north, to Resolute, had formed but we would have to commit. Go, No Go. Every expedition faces this. #Explore #Arctic #Ice #Climate #Photography #Ocean

The crew of Cloud Nine had to make a decision late n the summer season. Keep fighting the ice and risk our vessel or retreat from the Arctic and know we did our best and the Northwest Passage had won again. We chose to retreat.

0230

David Thoreson - The Accidental Explorer @davidthoreson.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Actual nautical chart from the 1994 voyage to the #NorthwestPassage. We were pinned by ice near Griffith Island, moving back n forth around Cheyne Pt. which we used as an ice deflector shield against the moving sea ice. Goal then in mid-August was to get to Resolute, 15 mi across the icy channel.

190