Field notes:

‘Crossing the line’ with King Neptune, at ‘Null Island’
World Geodetic System, mantaray, shark, Royal Marines Commando, Royal Marines Commando officer, Neptune name, pilot fish, Loodsmannetje, PIRATA system, orthodromes, Null Island, Strava, Strava Null Island, Zero Zero Island, Colonel Bleep, the Most Real of Fictional Places, Royal Marines, intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian, longitude, latitude, cartography, geography, mapping, Prime Meridian, Equator, culture, Naval culture, Crossing the Line ceremony, experienced ocean goers commemorate the crossing of the Equator, Neptune ceremony, Neptune’s court, camaraderie, crossed the Equator, Order of the Shellback, where is Null island?, Royal Navy, Crossing the Line, Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Morocco, WGS84 geographic coordinate system, WGS84, World Geodetic System 1984, The Equator, Null Island the Most Real of Fictional Places Chris Shirley MA FRGS World Geodetic System, mantaray, shark, Royal Marines Commando, Royal Marines Commando officer, Neptune name, pilot fish, Loodsmannetje, PIRATA system, orthodromes, Null Island, Strava, Strava Null Island, Zero Zero Island, Colonel Bleep, the Most Real of Fictional Places, Royal Marines, intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian, longitude, latitude, cartography, geography, mapping, Prime Meridian, Equator, culture, Naval culture, Crossing the Line ceremony, experienced ocean goers commemorate the crossing of the Equator, Neptune ceremony, Neptune’s court, camaraderie, crossed the Equator, Order of the Shellback, where is Null island?, Royal Navy, Crossing the Line, Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Morocco, WGS84 geographic coordinate system, WGS84, World Geodetic System 1984, The Equator, Null Island the Most Real of Fictional Places Chris Shirley MA FRGS

‘Crossing the line’ with King Neptune, at ‘Null Island’

The ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony is a traditional initiation rite that is held when a ship crosses the Equator. It is a time-honoured naval tradition that has been observed by many navies around the world, including the Royal Navy.

As relative newbies to maritime environment, we had to pay our dues to Neptune in order to get safe passage for the rest of our trip. During the ceremony, all sailors who have not previously crossed the Equator, are initiated into the "Order of the Shellback" by seasoned sailors who have crossed the Equator before. The ceremony typically involves a series of hilarious rituals, designed to induct the new initiates into a class of experienced ocean goers.

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Thriving below zero: an Antarctic experience with the Frozen Dagger expedition
Umeå Sweden, Hello Nature Sweden, Tales of Adventure, Chris Shirley MA FRGS, carbohydrates, fats, protein, Chris Shirley, partners, expedition partners, ski, biomedical sciences, human performance, Rock to Recovery, Movember, Royal Marines Commando, Royal Marines Commando officer, recaffeinate, social mobility, anaerobic respiration, katabatic winds, adventure nutrition requirements, Ali MacDonald, resilient nutrition, Swedish nature, Antarctic experience, expedition, joie de vivre, Cold management, Umeå Northern Sweden, world-record expedition, south pole, the tales of adventure, brand design, Haus of Hiatus, Frozen dagger, Frozen Dagger expedition Chris Shirley MA FRGS Umeå Sweden, Hello Nature Sweden, Tales of Adventure, Chris Shirley MA FRGS, carbohydrates, fats, protein, Chris Shirley, partners, expedition partners, ski, biomedical sciences, human performance, Rock to Recovery, Movember, Royal Marines Commando, Royal Marines Commando officer, recaffeinate, social mobility, anaerobic respiration, katabatic winds, adventure nutrition requirements, Ali MacDonald, resilient nutrition, Swedish nature, Antarctic experience, expedition, joie de vivre, Cold management, Umeå Northern Sweden, world-record expedition, south pole, the tales of adventure, brand design, Haus of Hiatus, Frozen dagger, Frozen Dagger expedition Chris Shirley MA FRGS

Thriving below zero: an Antarctic experience with the Frozen Dagger expedition

After designing his expedition’s branding in 2022, I travelled to Umeå, northern Sweden, to meet Sam Cox, a former Royal Marines Commando officer, and see how he is preparing for a world-record breaking expedition to the South Pole at the end of 2023.

 Entitled the ‘Frozen Dagger’ project, Sam will be skiing almost 2000 kilometres in the name of biomedical sciences and human performance, whilst also fundraising for the Movember and Rock to Recovery charities. A hugely inspiring endeavour, I’m sure you’ll agree!

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