Hi, Nice to meet you!
My name is Katy Bear Nalven. I am going to be sailing with eXXpedition along the west coast of the Greenland arctic from Ilulissat to Nuuk from July 12 - 19, 2026. I'm stoked.
When I was eight years old, I came face to face with a walrus at a California aquarium. Since then, that walrus has become a kind of sentinel for me, a symbol of my lifelong passion for marine conservation and the ocean’s wild, unforgettable power.
I now live in Newport, Oregon, with my husband, our dogs, and a very opinionated chinchilla. Every day, while surfing, walking on the beach, or just driving by, the Pacific Ocean reminds me that we all share one connected ocean, and that what happens in one corner of the world ripples everywhere else.
I first moved to Oregon to attend the Marine Resource Management program at Oregon State University. I earned my master’s degree after defending my research at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where I studied plastic pollution and explored how to inspire people to understand that individual actions can create meaningful change for the ocean.
The biggest lesson from this work is that plastic pollution is a global challenge that requires collective action from governments, companies, communities, and individuals-- but it is solvable.
Now, I work as a marine conservation consultant with Sea & Shore Solutions. I engage in wide variety of marine conservation projects locally and beyond. My career goal is simple: leave positive ripples for all who depend on the sea.
Eight-year-old Katy was full of big dreams: space travel, movie stardom, and a life filled with adventure. Somewhere along the way, I realized I could probably retire the astronaut and actress ambitions, but one dream of the ocean never left me.
That walrus started it all. What began as a childhood fascination with the ocean grew into a career, a purpose, and now the opportunity of a lifetime: sailing to the Arctic with an all-women crew with eXXpedition.
Honestly, eight-year-old Katy would have found this entirely reasonable. Of course adult Katy would end up on the deck of a sailboat in the Arctic, surrounded by women in science and conservation, chasing answers across blue water. As Iook towards this journey, it feels both like catching up to a dream that began long ago and discovering new dreams.
I am wokring to secure sponsorships and donations to support this mission. There are many ways to lend your support. Please see the sponsor and donor page for more details.
