A team that includes a 2008 Canadian Olympic gold medalist is three weeks into an attempt to be the first crew to row from Africa to North America.

"The ocean is alive and the ocean is full of life," Adam Kreek told the CBC News from west of Cape Verde, off the coast of Senegal.

The former men's eight rower, who holds a degree in geotechnical engineering and hydrology from Stanford University, is part of a four-member team hoping to complete the unpredictable 6,500-kilometre journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

The team is sponsored by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, and as part of the undertaking, their boat is equipped with scientific gear that is gathering data and uploading it to the web by satellite phone.

"We've got eight feet by five feet of sleeping, living, and science space," said Kreek.

With at least 80 more days to go, the CBC's Ian Hanomansing reports the latest on the trek.