Susan R. Eaton
P. Geol., P. Geoph., M.Sc., B.Sc. Hon., B.J. (Journalism) Hon.
President, SR ECO Consultants Inc.
Founder & Leader, Sedna Epic Expedition
Geoscientist / Explorer / Journalist / Speaker
Follow Susan R. Eaton Online
News
Katujjiqatigit / Working Together: The all-female Sedna Epic Expedition brings a changing ocean to eye level for coastal Inuit communities
BANK TO THE LEFT, bank to the right. Tethered to diver propulsion vehicles, the women flew through emerald-green waters at six kilometres per hour, dodging sculpted ice formations off the northern coast of Labrador. They soon discovered that snorkelling in pack ice is a contact sport. After several star-inducing head bumps, the team’s dive physician determined that helmets would be standard gear for future expeditions.
Bringing the Ocean to Eye Level for Inuit in the Arctic
Bank to the left; bank to the right: Tethered to a diver propulsion vehicle, I flew through emerald-green arctic waters at six kilometres per hour, dodging sculpted ice formations off the northern coast of Labrador, Canada.
Susan R. Eaton
A geoscientist, journalist and explorer, Susan R. Eaton studies the interplay of plate tectonics, oceans, glaciers, climate and life in polar regions.
A Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Susan explores the world’s oceans—from Antarctica to the Arctic—in the snorkel zone, a unique land-sea-ice-air interface where charismatic animals and snorkelers comingle.
In 2018, Ocean Geographic named Susan one of the “Ocean’s Best” 18 most influential women leaders in ocean conservation.
Twelve years ago, Susan suffered a scuba diving trauma that landed her in a hyperbaric chamber for three days, ending her 30-year diving career. Undaunted, her up-close-and-personal relationship with the ocean—which had included studying marine biology and teaching scuba diving—didn’t end in the hyperbaric chamber…
Redefining her relationship with the ocean, Susan has snorkeled with thousands of chatty belugas Hudson Bay and with docile manatees at Crystal River, Florida. She’s snorkeled in the Galapagos Archipelago where sea turtles, sea lions and nurse sharks outnumber snorkelers. In Haida Gwaii, she’s assisted the Haida Nation, snorkeling northern rivers to count salmon migrating to their ancestral spawning grounds. Susan has come face-to-mask with charging 1,400-pound leopard seals in the Southern Ocean—so close, in fact, that she could count the freckles on their upper palates and inspect their tri-serrated teeth which dispatch 30-pound penguins in mere minutes.
On Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, Susan was honoured to be included in the book by Paulina Cameron, entitled “Canada 150 Women: Conversations with Leaders, Champions and Luminaries.”
In 2015, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society named Susan one of Canada’s top 100 modern-day explorers and trailblazers. A year later, the same organization named her one of Canada’s 25 greatest female explorers.
Sedna Epic Norway 2019: Women’s Leadership & Winter Snorkel
Please consider supporting a portion of my personal costs to lead the Sedna Epic Expedition’s women’s leadership program and winter snorkel expedition to Norway in November 2019.
Every donation is welcome and accretive to my bottom line.
Warm regards, Susan
VIDEOS
Martial Glacier, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Garmin Women of Adventure: It’s Up to Us, with Susan R. Eaton
Sedna Epic: Seawomen To Snorkel Northwest
SOCIAL MEDIA
I’m delighted to represent the Indigenous and non-Indigenous #seawomen of the @SednaEpic Expedition at the AGM and conference @TravelNunavut #polarwomen #womenwhoexplore #womeninSTEM #oceans #destinationnunavut @PADI @PlanArctic @ArcticFocus
We’re flipping out @SednaEpic! How exciting to attend our first AGM and conference @TravelNunavut in the @CityofIqaluit #arcticocean #arcticsnorkel #womenofthearctic #spiritofthearctic #destinationnunavut #sednaselfie @NuTourism
If you’d told a 20-year-old me I’d have a book in German, I’d have laughed at you
Thank you, for the shout out, @Dal_ESnENVS! My undergraduate degree in geology & biology sparked my curiosity about the planet, laying the foundation for me to participate in #climatechange expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic #womeninSTEM @DalhousieU @Dal_Alumni @RCGS_SGRC
Susan R. Eaton: Epic Explorer https://t.co/uOTCYQADAP
Brava! Sedna's geoscientist, journalist & founder @SusanREaton_Geo explains the critical need for women-only polar expeditions like the #SednaEpic, which includes circumpolar Indigenous women. Great article by @kylieahern in @thebrilliantHQ @STEM_Matters
https://t.co/NcEyyXFnK7
Alexey carried beluga calf closer to mother so that the female stopped worrying & covered it with his jacket. He dug a pit underneath the other adult whale to turn it to the right position & spent next 7 hours scaring away birds and dogs from the whales https://t.co/zCzvcgVVe6
Canadian geoscientist, journalist and polar explorer
@SusanREaton_Geo is challenging the paradigm of what constitutes a polar explorer: What a delight to be interviewed by @kylieahern for this article in @thebrilliantHQ @STEM_Matters #scicomm #sednaepic https://t.co/C6ibyUHWJO
Countdown to #Northof60: After departing Calgary on July 25, my household effects have arrived on the in Iqaluit, Nunavut! I tried to downsize, but to no avail... Thank you, @FrankReardon1, for your photo of the Zelada Desgagnés @sealift @CityofIqaluit #explorenorthof60 #arctic
Our very own Sedna Epic Expedition Science Lead, Dr. Kirsten Muller, is one of the 289 co-signatories on this article below. She was part of the largest ever all female expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula with the women in STEMM initiative, Homeward Bound, who led this call to action for a marine protected area in Antarctica.
Kirsten says “It’s almost a year since I had the privilege to spend three weeks with these amazing women in Antarctica. As a marine biologist (who studies seaweeds), it is critical that we consider and do something about our impacts on the polar regions of our planet and protect these fragile ecosystems.”
Please read more about this in the article linked 👉 phys.org/news/2020-10-all-female-scientific-coalition-marine-area.html
I am so very proud of all the authors of this article for seeing through what started as an idea on the ship last year! Their commitment and that of the signatories on this article will hopefully lead to a new marine protected areA!
The Inuit Art Foundation takes the lid off the igloo with Agnes Topiak, of Kugluktuk, Nunavut.
Topiak's multi-piece sculpture peeks in on this family slumbering on their fur mattress. This tiny piece is full of detail, from the carved blocks of snow to the residents’ necessities: a seal, qulliq and ulu.
📷 Agnes Topiak “Sleeping Family” (1970) Courtesy of the Inuit Art FoundationWe are taking the lid off the igloo with this week’s Throwback Thursday from Agnes Topiak, of Kugluktuk, NU. Her multi-piece sculpture peeks in on this family slumbering on their fur mattress. This tiny piece is full of detail, from the carved blocks of snow to the residents’ necessities: a seal, qulliq and ulu.
📷 Agnes Topiak “Sleeping Family” (1970) Courtesy IAF
This is beautiful.
John Bishop’s Great Whale Rescue aired in the UK this week about the plight of Little White and Little Grey, so what better time to share this amazing story about another beluga whale rescue operation! In 1985, a Russian polar icebreaker named Moskva herded around 2000 belugas trapped in the Chukchi Peninsula out to safety by playing classical music!
whalescientists.com/russian-ship-entrapped-belugas/?fbclid=IwAR0OwbB6gml_TMUQFu8DJ8KSHWBCQ37rbSYY...
Russian ship played classical music to rescue entrapped belugas – Whale Scientists
whalescientists.com
In 1985, Russian icebreaker Moskva herded at least 2000 ice-entrapped belugas by playing classical music. Yes, you read that right!