Over Coffee® is on holiday hiatus. Please enjoy this reposting of one of our top episodes of 2023!

What if you could experience life in the Arctic, in a highly matriarchal culture?

And what if, by doing so, you were learning about a unique culture which few people experience–or understand? Not to mention the ways members of that culture are adapting to a changing planet?

That’s exactly the opportunity provided by Found in the Fjords, a soon-to-be-released VR game which takes players into the world of orcas==a sea creature more similar to humans than most of us realize.

Found in the Fjords is an unexpected result of an all-women science and art expedition to Norway’s Arctic fjords. During this research expedition, creators Dr. Louise Edwards, Tiffany Duong and Aya Walraven met for the first time.

Louise, who is both a geoscientist and a VR developer, had wanted to enter the U.N.’s “Metaverse for the SDGs” competition. But, she says, she hadn’t yet hit upon a project that she felt explored any of these initiatives…

…and then, on her journey, she met Tiffany, an ocean storyteller and speaker/educator, and Aya, an emerging-technology and web-based media creator.

Their shared experiences during the expedition provided a catalyst. Louise, Tiff and Aya began collaborating on Found in the Fjords, as they discovered how much each woman’s skill set complemented the others’, towards the goal of re-creating the world they’d seen, in virtual reality.

Inside an orca’s life

Entering Found in the Fjords, players become Nora–a young orca traveling to the Arctic fjords for the first time, with her family.

Along the way, they’ll learn skills while experiencing“whale culture” and gaining a new perspective on an often-misunderstood animal.

And the virtual reality experience amounts to a call to action, in real life

Louise says she and her team are seeking beta testers for “Found in the Fjords”, with the goal of releasing the game later this year. Here’s the link for updates.

Louise and Tiff shared the story of creating Found in the Fjords, explained what players can experience in the game and offered a preview of what’s next.

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• How Found in the Fjords came about;

• How Tiff first came on board with the project;

• One moment, during the journey, which especially inspired Louise and Tiff to create the game;

• What players experience, in Found in the Fjords;

• How the game educates participants about orcas–and what that knowledge means to us, as humans

• A closer look at “whale culture”;

• The way in which each team member’s skill set complemented the others in creating the game;

• How each grew through their experiences as a collaborative team;

• Main creative obstacles which Louise and Tiff had to troubleshoot;

• A “failure” that served as a lesson (and an encouragement!);

• Favorite resources;

• What’s next for Louise, Tiff and Aya!