130 years on, HX Expeditions is still exploring what it means to go further.
Hunters in Savissivik, Greenland had not been able to hunt or fish safely for several months. Climate change had made the conditions too dangerous, and with it, the income that families depend on had simply stopped. Within days of the situation being brought to the attention of the HX Foundation support was on its way. Dog food, household fuel, food supplies. The essentials that keep a community going through a winter it did not expect to face this way.
This is the HX Foundation’s Rapid Response Fund in action. The fund is a dedicated, standing resource that crews, expedition staff and cultural ambassadors can activate directly during a voyage when they encounter a community facing urgent need – no formal application, no waiting for the next grant cycle. It is deliberately small in scale and fast by design, built for the kind of immediate, practical support that cannot wait. When you sail into the same communities year after year, you notice when something is wrong, and the HX Rapid Response Fund exists to ensure that noticing leads somewhere. In 2025 alone, it was activated 14 times.
What a year of purpose looks like
The 2025 HX Foundation results tell a story worth pausing on. Together, HX guests and crew raised €215,195 (roughly AU$350,000) — enabling €226,370 (roughly AU$370,000) in grants across 28 projects. The numbers slightly exceed what came in because the Foundation draws on reserves to ensure no worthy project goes unfunded. It is the kind of detail that reflects how seriously HX takes this work.
Behind every figure is something far more tangible: community resilience strengthened, conservation research advanced, education extended to places that rarely receive it.
In Gjoa Haven, a visit during HX’s crossing of the Northwest Passage saw the Foundation contribute to the local food bank initiative, ensuring food security for families in need, and doing so in a way that honoured the welcome the community extended.
€130,000 per ship (roughly AU$215,000) to celebrate 130 years
In 2026, HX Expeditions marks 130 years of expedition travel. To honour that, the HX Foundation has set its most ambitious goal yet: raising more than €130,000 per ship throughout the year. The number is deliberate — one euro for every year of the journey so far. It is a quiet, powerful way of saying that the places which made this story possible deserve to be part of its next chapter.
At the heart of the initiative are five carefully selected anniversary grantees, each aligned to the Foundation’s three core focus areas: endangered species, marine conservation and local communities.
Among them is a groundbreaking ocean research collaboration between the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the Alfred Wegener Institute. Building on the SOOP (Shaping an Ocean of Possibilities) initiative, the project expands CO₂ monitoring in remote ocean regions—critical to understanding the global carbon cycle.
In Antarctica, HX continues its long-standing partnership with the California Ocean Alliance, led by marine scientist Dr. Ari Friedlaender. Using drone technology and biologging, the team studies whale behaviour and health, with HX vessels providing vital access to some of the planet’s most remote research sites.
Closer to shorelines, UK-based Surfers Against Sewage will receive funding to expand its Million Mile Clean initiative—mobilising communities to remove plastic waste while collecting data to drive systemic change.
The Foundation’s commitment to people is equally strong. In Greenland, its long-term partnership with the Association of Greenlandic Children supports youth development programs and safe community spaces. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the OSM-AD Foundation is working with HX to build solar-powered learning centres in underserved communities.
Woven into the journey
For guests sailing in 2026, this is part of the experience. Curated events, onboard giving and ‘Green Stays’ connect the act of being somewhere extraordinary with a responsibility toward it. A limited-edition Ocean Bottle will also be auctioned onboard, with proceeds directed to the Foundation.
A story that started in 1896 and has no intention of ending
What distinguishes HX is not simply longevity. It is the consistency of purpose that longevity reflects. The same drive that sent ships into uncharted waters 130 years ago is the same reason HX is still investing in the science, the communities and the ecosystems that make those waters worth returning to.
In 2026, that commitment is more visible than ever — and more measurable.
For more information on HX Expeditions, visit travelhx.com.
This article is brought to you by HX Expeditions.
