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How did declining summer sea ice affect travel through the Northwest Passage after about 2000?

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Map of the Arctic region highlighting the Northwest Passage, a maritime route shown with a red line connecting the Atlantic Ocean near Greenland to the Pacific Ocean via the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, passing north of Canada and Alaska through the Bering Sea. Major islands and surrounding countries such as Russia, Norway, Denmark (Greenland), the United States (Alaska), and Canada are labeled.
Northwest Passage

Since about 2000, significant changes in the Arctic climate driven by global warming have led to record minimums in summer sea-ice coverage. This decline has resulted in periods during late summer when the Northwest Passage becomes wholly or largely free of ice.1

Increased access to the route has had several effects on travel:

  • Increased Traffic: There has been a rise in the number of icebreakers, government vessels, and research ships traveling through the passage.1
  • Adventurers: A growing number of individuals have begun navigating the route in smaller watercraft.1
  • Commercial Interest: The passage has become more attractive for commercial shipping. Cruise ship voyages have increased steadily in the 21st century.1
  • Cargo Shipping: The route has seen its first transits by large commercial vessels, such as the bulk carrier Nordic Orion in 2013 and the cargo ship Nunavik in 2014, the latter of which completed the journey without an icebreaker escort.1