by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 1:50 PM ET, Wed October 28, 2026
Aurora Expeditions is expanding its partnership with ocean technology company CounterCurrent after testing artificial intelligence-powered navigation technology during five Antarctic voyages.
The trial, conducted from December 2025 through March 2026 aboard Douglas Mawson, tested whether real-time ocean data and AI forecasting could help ships navigate more efficiently, reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions.
During 126 days of operation, the system generated 39 route recommendations and collected more than 5,600 environmental observations.
Early sea trials indicated fuel savings of more than 2% to 5% over 24 hours, while preliminary modeling suggests savings of up to 5% to 15% under suitable conditions. Results vary depending on vessel type, speed and route, and further testing is needed to establish long-term performance.
Aurora has now installed upgraded CounterCurrent Mark 3 Triton sensors aboard all three of its purpose-built expedition ships: Douglas Mawson, Sylvia Earle and Greg Mortimer.
The technology combines artificial intelligence-based ocean forecasting with ship-mounted sensors and real-time observations to identify favorable ocean currents and recommend route adjustments. By helping ships take advantage of currents and avoid unfavorable conditions, the system aims to reduce fuel use without necessarily extending journey times.
During the Antarctic trial, the sensors operated in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit) and winds reaching 120 kilometers per hour (about 75 mph). Feedback from Aurora's bridge teams also helped CounterCurrent refine its system to account for sea ice, swell, passenger comfort and expedition schedules.
Captains and bridge teams retain responsibility for final routing decisions.
“At Aurora Expeditions, we’ve spent more than 35 years exploring some of the world’s most remote environments, and we recognize the responsibility that comes with operating in these extraordinary places,” says Sasha Buch, Aurora Expeditions' head of sustainability and passenger experience.
The upgraded sensors feature improved solar power generation for high-latitude environments, eight times the battery capacity of the previous generation, and expanded onboard data processing and storage. These changes are intended to improve data collection in remote areas, including during periods without sunlight or satellite connectivity.
The next phase of the partnership will explore fleet-wide forecasting, allowing observations gathered by one ship to improve forecasts and route recommendations for other vessels operating in the same region. The companies are also developing onboard forecasting capabilities that could reduce reliance on cloud-based processing.
CounterCurrent founder Shane Keating says the Antarctic trial provided an opportunity to evaluate the technology in extreme conditions and use crew feedback to improve its performance.
“The data and feedback collected aboard Douglas Mawson have directly informed the next generation of our technology, bringing us closer to making ocean navigation smarter, more efficient and ultimately more sustainable,” he says.
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