DARWIN200 was a flagged expedition that we joined as a family aboard the three-masted tall ship Oosterschelde, part of the global voyage retracing Charles Darwin’s journey two hundred years later. The overall DARWIN200 voyage ran from 2023 to 2025, sailing more than 40,000 nautical miles in 32 legs and making landfall at key places linked to Darwin’s route.

Our leg took us from Lima, Peru, to Guayaquil, Ecuador, in March 2024. It was a hands-on journey that combined sailing, learning, and environmental awareness. Living onboard the Oosterschelde, we learned the basics of life at sea on a historic three-masted ship while taking part in a voyage shaped by exploration and conservation.

For us, the expedition was especially meaningful because it brought together family travel and practical environmental learning. During the trip, we worked on microplastic filtering and experienced firsthand how a sailing expedition can become a platform for education, teamwork, and curiosity about the natural world.

Project website: darwin200.com