Full Transcript for Walking Post podcast 61: Antarctica

thing I think we're all guilty 00:02:18.949 --> 00:02:22.110 of is considering our own environment as the 00:02:22.110 --> 00:02:25.180 only one. I often get people saying I can do 00:02:25.180 --> 00:02:28.969 an interview at 11. Yes, but where are you? 11 00:02:28.969 --> 00:02:32.689 in the Pacific time zone is 7pm here in the UK. 00:02:32.930 --> 00:02:35.569 We do it in other ways too. Last week the UK 00:02:35.569 --> 00:02:39.229 was full of back -to -school advertising, which 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:41.889 is great until you consider Scottish schools 00:02:41.889 --> 00:02:44.590 have been back for a few weeks already. It's 00:02:44.590 --> 00:02:46.409 also the same when we talk about the weather. 00:02:46.490 --> 00:02:49.650 Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is not summer 00:02:49.650 --> 00:02:52.650 in the South. It's winter. Of course, this doesn't 00:02:52.650 --> 00:02:54.750 really matter, but it does when you have a podcast 00:02:54.750 --> 00:02:58.770 like this with... listeners in at least 10 southern 00:02:58.770 --> 00:03:01.710 hemisphere countries. So in today's interview 00:03:01.710 --> 00:03:04.509 we're going about as far south as you can get 00:03:04.509 --> 00:03:08.090 because we're talking about hiking in and visiting 00:03:08.090 --> 00:03:12.680 Antarctica and our guide is Amanda Hunter. the 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:16.599 highly experienced operations manager at Terra 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:19.939 Nova Expeditions. But before we get going, if 00:03:19.939 --> 00:03:22.240 you do have any news, guest ideas or subjects 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:24.979 to cover or comments, or if you want to advertise, 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:28.900 please do get in touch via walkingpost .com or 00:03:28.900 --> 00:03:32.419 you can just email me at jim at walkingpost .com. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:50.360 Right, Antarctica. An opportunity to learn about 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:53.500 a relatively unknown continent, and one that 00:03:53.500 --> 00:03:56.680 doesn't have that many tourists each year. Fewer 00:03:56.680 --> 00:04:00.080 than 150 ,000, actually. Obviously, we didn't 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:02.460 do this in person, much as I would like to have 00:04:02.460 --> 00:04:04.740 done. When you consider from here it's a two 00:04:04.740 --> 00:04:07.840 -hour drive to Edinburgh, then your options are 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.860 fly to Madrid, then Buenos Aires, and then down 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:14.379 to Ushuaia. So it's about 30 hours of travel, 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:17.839 and it's not cheap either. Anywhere from $1 ,500. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.240 to 2500 return. Obviously that varies depending 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.180 on where you are. If your starting point is Miami 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:29.050 then it's a lot cheaper and closer. Of course, 00:04:29.050 --> 00:04:32.050 there are hikes in Antarctica, plenty of them, 00:04:32.129 --> 00:04:34.209 so it's good to be able to talk about that and 00:04:34.209 --> 00:04:37.149 what else Antarctica trips have to offer with 00:04:37.149 --> 00:04:40.750 Amanda Hunter, who is the experienced operations 00:04:40.750 --> 00:04:43.970 manager of the new travel company Terra Nova 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:47.629 Expeditions. She's been to Antarctica many times. 00:04:47.990 --> 00:04:50.329 So, hi Amanda, great to have you on the podcast. 00:04:50.649 --> 00:04:52.610 Maybe you could first tell us a little bit about 00:04:52.610 --> 00:04:56.439 Terra Nova Expeditions. I'd be happy to. Yeah. 00:04:56.579 --> 00:04:59.620 So thank you, I guess, first and foremost, for 00:04:59.620 --> 00:05:01.980 having me here. I'm really proud to be representing 00:05:01.980 --> 00:05:05.139 Terra Nova Expeditions. We are a new Antarctic 00:05:05.139 --> 00:05:08.600 operator, Antarctic Expedition Company. And the 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:11.819 whole ethos behind Terra Nova is keeping things 00:05:11.819 --> 00:05:15.360 small, simple, all inclusive and getting back 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:18.779 to Antarctica. You know, I've been personally 00:05:18.779 --> 00:05:22.139 I've spent. the last 10 or so years working as 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:25.259 a polar expedition guide. So working on a variety 00:05:25.259 --> 00:05:27.639 of ships in both the Antarctic and the Arctic. 00:05:27.860 --> 00:05:31.420 And there's been, I think personally, a shift 00:05:31.420 --> 00:05:35.720 in the way companies are running Antarctic experiences. 00:05:36.019 --> 00:05:39.620 And there's become more and more focus on ship 00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:43.139 experience. So turning into five -star dining, 00:05:43.379 --> 00:05:46.480 focusing on onboard entertainment, which is all 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:49.680 wonderful if that's what you're after. For me, 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:52.079 the reason I started working in Antarctica, and 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.279 I like to think the reason why people come down 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:57.699 to Antarctica is not for the ship, not for the 00:05:57.699 --> 00:06:00.779 onboard experience, but for Antarctica itself. 00:06:01.100 --> 00:06:05.019 So as the operations manager, it's my job to 00:06:05.019 --> 00:06:07.620 create, design, and implement the operation. 00:06:07.779 --> 00:06:11.079 And our biggest focus is the expedition team. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:15.319 the operation, how we interact with Antarctica 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:19.279 and all that it has to offer. So we've got a 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:21.800 small team. We keep operations simple. We keep 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:25.459 them small, 98 passengers, which is a unique 00:06:25.459 --> 00:06:27.879 offering these days. Usually the average on ships 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:31.879 is about 200. And so keeping it at 98 allows 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:34.399 us to get to more places, smaller operation. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:37.319 And it also allows us to get everybody off the 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:41.579 ship and onto shore at once. Being an

Antarctic 00:06:41.579 --> 00:06:45.180 expedition operator, you should, technically, 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:46.980 you don't have to be, but you should be part 00:06:46.980 --> 00:06:52.790 of an organization called IAA. And IATO sets 00:06:52.790 --> 00:06:56.329 regulations for how expedition operators operate. 00:06:56.509 --> 00:06:59.310 And so with those regulations, you are not allowed 00:06:59.310 --> 00:07:01.870 to have more than 100 passengers ashore at any 00:07:01.870 --> 00:07:04.990 time. So being a smaller ship, we are able to 00:07:04.990 --> 00:07:07.910 get everybody off, everybody to shore, everybody 00:07:07.910 --> 00:07:11.569 doing things outside all at once, which is, for 00:07:11.569 --> 00:07:15.870 me, a big, big plus. What kind of offerings or 00:07:15.870 --> 00:07:19.079 products do you... and what kind of things can 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:24.180 people participate in other than eating? Other 00:07:24.180 --> 00:07:26.519 than eating, which the food is quite good, I 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:29.639 will say. We have the standard expedition package. 00:07:30.649 --> 00:07:33.250 Buy your ticket to come on board with us. Everything's 00:07:33.250 --> 00:07:35.910 included, like I mentioned. But once you get 00:07:35.910 --> 00:07:39.209 down to Antarctica, you will have daily excursions. 00:07:39.209 --> 00:07:41.410 An excursion is basically any time you leave 00:07:41.410 --> 00:07:44.410 the ship. So we drop zodiacs, which are those 00:07:44.410 --> 00:07:46.829 inflatable ribs, and you'll have an expedition 00:07:46.829 --> 00:07:50.029 guide and naturalist driving the rib. And you 00:07:50.029 --> 00:07:53.810 will go either to shore or you will go on a zodiac 00:07:53.810 --> 00:07:56.110 cruise, which will be, it could be anything, 00:07:56.209 --> 00:07:58.709 a zodiac cruise around the iceberg graveyard. 00:07:59.980 --> 00:08:02.139 It could be around penguin colonies or to go 00:08:02.139 --> 00:08:04.959 see a wildlife sighting. Maybe there's something 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:08.160 exciting like a pod of whales or it could be 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:10.839 anything. So those zodiacs are really the adventure 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:14.360 mobiles for your journey. When you get to shore, 00:08:14.540 --> 00:08:16.759 if you're going to shore, those shore excursions 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:20.139 could include snowshoeing, hiking, short treks, 00:08:20.180 --> 00:08:23.300 longer treks. And if you're not into movement, 00:08:23.420 --> 00:08:26.420 you are welcome to sit on the beach and hang 00:08:26.420 --> 00:08:28.839 out with the penguins and watch them for... two 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:31.819 three four hours so the level of adventure is 00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:35.500 really up to the participant but we offer all 00:08:35.500 --> 00:08:37.759 sorts of activities throughout the voyage as 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:40.200 well that are included so guests who come with 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:42.580 us they can go kayaking they can go snowshoeing 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:46.580 if they are brave and into adventure they can 00:08:46.580 --> 00:08:50.559 go camping under the antarctic night which is 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:55.049 pretty exciting we have yoga on board for when 00:08:55.049 --> 00:08:57.450 you're back on board and kind of ready to decompress 00:08:57.450 --> 00:09:00.809 a little bit. And we also do a variety of science 00:09:00.809 --> 00:09:04.129 initiatives. So Terra Nova is very much one of 00:09:04.129 --> 00:09:06.429 the pillars we have built our company on is our 00:09:06.429 --> 00:09:09.970 commitment to contributing to real polar science. 00:09:10.090 --> 00:09:12.730 So we will have two scientists on board with 00:09:12.730 --> 00:09:15.470 us throughout the entire Antarctic season. And 00:09:15.470 --> 00:09:18.309 we are also going to have a variety of citizen 00:09:18.309 --> 00:09:20.429 science initiatives that guests can actually 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:23.879 hold onto the device and help collect data with 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:27.399 the guides. And that data goes into these different 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:31.340 polar science databases and are utilized by scientists 00:09:31.340 --> 00:09:34.600 around the world. So there's a big mix, as you 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.919 can see, a huge variety of things for all sorts 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:40.460 of guests. And how long are the experiences? 00:09:40.919 --> 00:09:44.299 Yeah, the expedition itself ranges from 10 days, 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:49.940 nine nights to up to... 14 days, 13 nights, I 00:09:49.940 --> 00:09:52.200 think is our longest one, at least for next season. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.740 In 27 -28, we'll be offering some 22 -night cruises, 00:09:56.740 --> 00:09:58.980 which I think are very exciting. Those include 00:09:58.980 --> 00:10:01.860 South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, as well 00:10:01.860 --> 00:10:05.480 as the peninsula. And inside the expedition, 00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:08.779 those day -by -day excursions, we have kayaking. 00:10:08.779 --> 00:10:11.419 It can range from an hour to three hours, depending 00:10:11.419 --> 00:10:14.750 on conditions. hiking and trekking, snowshoeing, 00:10:14.809 --> 00:10:18.230 same story. If you're out on shore and conditions 00:10:18.230 --> 00:10:20.470 are perfect and everybody's having a great time, 00:10:20.570 --> 00:10:23.429 being a small ship, a small operation, we have 00:10:23.429 --> 00:10:27.070 that flexibility to expand the experience as 00:10:27.070 --> 00:10:30.090 it flows and as it works, which is a huge plus. 00:10:30.590 --> 00:10:34.190 How do people get there? I assume that you don't 00:10:34.190 --> 00:10:37.629 start in New York and pick up in Boston and Atlanta 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:42.139 and Miami. Yeah, that's a good question. So people 00:10:42.139 --> 00:10:45.100 fly from all over the world. And the destination 00:10:45.100 --> 00:10:47.759 before getting to Antarctica is

a little town 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.980 called Ushuaia. And to get to Ushuaia, usually 00:10:50.980 --> 00:10:53.460 you take an international flight from wherever 00:10:53.460 --> 00:10:56.740 you are. You fly down to Argentina, the city 00:10:56.740 --> 00:10:58.919 being Buenos Aires. And then from Buenos Aires, 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:02.379 you take a domestic flight down to Ushuaia. And 00:11:02.379 --> 00:11:05.259 that's pretty much the standard flight path. 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:09.340 What kind of people do you... get on expeditions 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:11.860 to Antarctica? I assume that it varies, but is 00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:14.480 there kind of a typical person that would choose 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:18.019 these vacations? I think for a long time, Antarctica 00:11:18.019 --> 00:11:22.340 was a destination that was reserved for the elite, 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:25.700 the 1%, the people who can afford it, the kind 00:11:25.700 --> 00:11:28.620 of end of life retirement goal. And I think we 00:11:28.620 --> 00:11:31.539 saw that in the type of people that have been 00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:34.179 visiting Antarctica for the past two decades. 00:11:35.019 --> 00:11:38.059 And I think Terra Nova is definitely part of 00:11:38.059 --> 00:11:43.419 the wave moving, I guess, moving the industry 00:11:43.419 --> 00:11:45.799 into being able to offer a product that's... 00:11:46.299 --> 00:11:49.879 for more accessible to more people. So we're 00:11:49.879 --> 00:11:53.000 seeing a lot younger people, at least in our 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:56.100 bookings. And we're seeing actually more female 00:11:56.100 --> 00:11:58.059 than male, which is interesting. We haven't, 00:11:58.059 --> 00:12:00.600 that's not historically has been the case, but 00:12:00.600 --> 00:12:02.820 we're seeing more younger people, a lot of working 00:12:02.820 --> 00:12:05.019 professionals. We're seeing a lot of families 00:12:05.019 --> 00:12:07.519 come down. We have a very family friendly product. 00:12:07.580 --> 00:12:09.899 So people are coming down with their eight, nine, 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:14.960 10, 11, 11 year olds, teenagers. And I also see 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:17.139 a lot of retired folks as well still to this 00:12:17.139 --> 00:12:21.299 day. So it is a trip that is able to be pursued 00:12:21.299 --> 00:12:24.580 by anyone who's interested. There is, of course, 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:27.659 a few physical kind of standards that we hope 00:12:27.659 --> 00:12:31.480 our guests do have. That being, we say that you 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:33.879 have to be able to walk up and down a set of 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:36.120 stairs without any assistance or without any 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:39.179 rails. And we say that you have to get in and 00:12:39.179 --> 00:12:41.299 out of a bathtub. And I use the bathtub analogy 00:12:41.299 --> 00:12:44.490 because it's... Pretty spot on with how you get 00:12:44.490 --> 00:12:47.029 in and out of a Zodiac. You sit your bottom on 00:12:47.029 --> 00:12:48.769 the side of the pontoon and then you lift your 00:12:48.769 --> 00:12:52.649 feet up and over into the kind of the base of 00:12:52.649 --> 00:12:56.529 the boat. So if you can check off those two items 00:12:56.529 --> 00:12:59.830 in terms of physical capability, you got it in 00:12:59.830 --> 00:13:02.269 the bag and you should have a great trip and 00:13:02.269 --> 00:13:05.279 will have no problem getting around. People with 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:09.320 life -threatening allergies, we say it's probably 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:12.779 a no -go. If you have an allergic reaction down 00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:14.940 there, there's no way we could get you to suitable 00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:17.899 medical facilities in time. And then, of course, 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:21.269 if something serious does happen... It's a medical 00:13:21.269 --> 00:13:24.649 evac, medical evacuation. So it's not always 00:13:24.649 --> 00:13:26.909 simple either. I mean, of course, in theory, 00:13:26.950 --> 00:13:29.190 we would get a helicopter to you and then you'd 00:13:29.190 --> 00:13:32.090 be helicoptered to either the nearest base or 00:13:32.090 --> 00:13:34.710 back to Ushuaia where proper medical facility 00:13:34.710 --> 00:13:37.909 and doctors could take care of you. Are there 00:13:37.909 --> 00:13:40.789 any misconceptions, do you think, about Antarctica, 00:13:40.990 --> 00:13:44.230 that it's just a frozen wasteland? I think that's 00:13:44.230 --> 00:13:47.370 the best misconception I hear quite often. The 00:13:47.370 --> 00:13:49.549 frozen wasteland. People come down there and 00:13:49.549 --> 00:13:54.389 they're expecting vast spaces of just white ice, 00:13:54.629 --> 00:13:58.029 nothing around, no life. But the reality is, 00:13:58.029 --> 00:14:01.389 is Antarctica is one of the most. biodiverse 00:14:01.389 --> 00:14:04.129 and abundant, really bioabundant places on the 00:14:04.129 --> 00:14:06.970 planet. Every January, there's this thing called 00:14:06.970 --> 00:14:10.110 the phytoplankton bloom that happens around the 00:14:10.110 --> 00:14:12.470 Antarctic continent. And that's when you get 00:14:12.470 --> 00:14:15.090 this mixing of cool and warm water and you get 00:14:15.090 --> 00:14:18.070 upwelling and a lot of nutrient growth. And from 00:14:18.070 --> 00:14:21.409 there you get krill. Krill is basically the keystone 00:14:21.409 --> 00:14:24.129 species in Antarctica. It feeds everything. And 00:14:24.129 --> 00:14:27.929 so when this bloom of nutrients explodes around 00:14:27.929 --> 00:14:31.610 Antarctica every January, December, you get krill 00:14:31.610 --> 00:14:35.009 feeding on all that nutrients. And from there, 00:14:35.070 --> 00:14:37.809 you get everything else having an incredible 00:14:37.809 --> 00:14:41.389 food source to thrive off of. So we get whales 00:14:41.389 --> 00:14:43.570 migrating from all over the planet to come down 00:14:43.570 -->

00:14:46.730 to Antarctica every year just to feed. You have 00:14:46.730 --> 00:14:50.149 a huge abundance of seals and penguins and seabirds 00:14:50.149 --> 00:14:52.649 and all of these incredible species that are 00:14:52.649 --> 00:14:55.750 all utilizing that. food source in the nutrient 00:14:55.750 --> 00:14:59.730 -rich waters. What kind of landscapes are they 00:14:59.730 --> 00:15:02.289 going to encounter there? Yeah, so along your 00:15:02.289 --> 00:15:04.909 journey, along the journey, you are traveling 00:15:04.909 --> 00:15:07.210 along what's known as the Antarctic Peninsula. 00:15:07.470 --> 00:15:11.309 So Ushuaia, Argentina is at the southern tip 00:15:11.309 --> 00:15:14.450 of South America, and then you have the peninsula 00:15:14.450 --> 00:15:20.580 coming up. And it's in between that section of 00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:23.320 Ushuaia and the peninsula is the Drake Passage. 00:15:23.340 --> 00:15:26.740 But along that journey, you are traveling along 00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:29.080 a set of islands. You'll have some continents, 00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:33.759 but it's a really diverse mix of rocky substrate, 00:15:34.019 --> 00:15:37.919 but really rugged, intense, beautiful mountainscapes. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:40.919 You've got some snow fields, lots of glaciers. 00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:45.519 It's variable, but dynamic and ever -changing 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:49.279 week by week. And I think it's pretty jaw -dropping 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:52.139 beautiful. And depending on the time of year 00:15:52.139 --> 00:15:55.879 you go, will also dictate kind of what kind of 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:59.279 landscapes you'll be seeing. And what about the 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:03.059 terrain in terms of elevation? Are there hills, 00:16:03.139 --> 00:16:07.940 mountains, cliffs? Yeah, absolutely. So on the 00:16:07.940 --> 00:16:10.860 peninsula, there's not a ton of elevation gain, 00:16:10.940 --> 00:16:13.259 especially if you are traveling by expedition 00:16:13.259 --> 00:16:17.200 ship. All of your excursions will be by ship 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.769 and close to sea level. You might go up. 200, 00:16:19.809 --> 00:16:24.009 300, 400, 500 feet, 200 meters or so, 150 meters. 00:16:24.129 --> 00:16:26.889 But there are mountains that do get up there. 00:16:27.070 --> 00:16:29.710 There definitely is elevation gain and people 00:16:29.710 --> 00:16:31.870 do come down there to climb those mountains. 00:16:31.909 --> 00:16:34.669 But on an average expedition, you probably won't 00:16:34.669 --> 00:16:38.669 be doing any bagging of peaks, so to speak. So 00:16:38.669 --> 00:16:42.210 in terms of hiking and some of the trekking, 00:16:42.289 --> 00:16:46.350 if you were to do that, what kind of hikes are 00:16:46.350 --> 00:16:50.129 there? That's phenomenal. So every time we go 00:16:50.129 --> 00:16:53.470 to land, which is potentially two, three times 00:16:53.470 --> 00:16:56.620 a day, you will have an opportunity to. go on

00:16:56.620 --> 00:17:00.259 a walk slash hike slash trek, depending on what 00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:02.919 your interest is. So we have certified mountain 00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:05.500 guides, glacier guides, trekking guides that 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:08.900 take our guests around Antarctica. And depending 00:17:08.900 --> 00:17:11.619 on the landing site, we'll define what kind of 00:17:11.619 --> 00:17:15.220 hike we're doing. So early season, we offer snowshoeing 00:17:15.220 --> 00:17:18.660 as part of our activity roster. Snowshoeing is 00:17:18.660 --> 00:17:21.259 amazing. We do it on non -glaciated terrain. 00:17:21.400 --> 00:17:26.039 So it's quite intro level, moderate. beginner 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:28.539 level snowshoeing but it's beautiful nonetheless 00:17:28.539 --> 00:17:31.779 because Antarctica is covered in snow early season 00:17:31.779 --> 00:17:35.180 so snowshoeing is what we focus on. As that snow 00:17:35.180 --> 00:17:39.099 disappears through November, December, January 00:17:39.099 --> 00:17:42.519 we'll start focusing more on hiking and longer 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:45.539 treks and especially going into later season 00:17:45.539 --> 00:17:48.880 as the snow is pretty much gone. That's your 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:51.200 chance to get in some of those longer walks. 00:17:51.420 --> 00:17:53.380 And of course, it all depends on where we land. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:57.220 So some of the spots have shorter spaces, shorter, 00:17:57.299 --> 00:18:02.359 smaller areas for guests to explore. But some 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:05.230 places like... I'm thinking specifically there's 00:18:05.230 --> 00:18:07.309 a place called Deception Island where you can 00:18:07.309 --> 00:18:10.750 go into a live active caldera with your ship. 00:18:10.869 --> 00:18:15.130 And there's huge stretches of coastline. And 00:18:15.130 --> 00:18:17.470 then it goes up to this place called the Neptune's 00:18:17.470 --> 00:18:22.170 Bellow. And it's this multi -mile loop and lookout 00:18:22.170 --> 00:18:24.710 point. And that's a fabulous trek. I always hope 00:18:24.710 --> 00:18:27.230 to do, especially late season. It seems to be 00:18:27.230 --> 00:18:31.019 a good time to do that. Yeah, plenty of trekking 00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:33.079 and hiking opportunities to answer your question. 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:37.200 The only thing that you wouldn't see, I assume, 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:41.019 is communities and restaurants and things like 00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:44.299 that. That is correct. Yeah, no Starbucks, no 00:18:44.299 --> 00:18:48.200 drive -thrus. Antarctica is, I think, the last 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:50.700 place on Earth that hasn't been commercialized. 00:18:50.779 --> 00:18:53.640 The closest thing to a commercial feature in 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:57.029 Antarctica is... Port Lockroy, which is the Penguin 00:18:57.029 --> 00:19:01.250 Post Office. And it's an Antarctic research station, 00:19:01.410 --> 00:19:04.769 but they

are open to visitors and they've got 00:19:04.769 --> 00:19:06.710 a post office where you can leave a postcard 00:19:06.710 --> 00:19:09.329 and they've got a little gift shop. But truly, 00:19:09.410 --> 00:19:11.829 aside from that, yeah, no commercial offerings 00:19:11.829 --> 00:19:15.950 really anywhere in Antarctica. How do you, as 00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:19.069 a company and as a part of an industry, minimize 00:19:19.069 --> 00:19:22.960 the potential for environmental impact? Yeah, 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:25.640 and that's a big question, right? There are so 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:28.819 many facets to that. And I think the biggest 00:19:28.819 --> 00:19:32.759 way that an operator can contribute or I guess 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:35.700 minimize their environmental impact is by, number 00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:38.599 one, becoming a member of IATO, which is the 00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:41.140 organization I mentioned earlier. They basically 00:19:41.140 --> 00:19:45.539 regulate Antarctic tourism. And they are, I think 00:19:45.539 --> 00:19:48.299 it is one of the best tourism regulation bodies 00:19:48.299 --> 00:19:52.059 on planet Earth. They are very thorough and very 00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:55.640 conservative with how they implement rules for 00:19:55.640 --> 00:19:58.160 operations in Antarctica. And so I think being 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:01.799 a part of IATO forces us, and of course encourages, 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:06.140 but really we are committed to sticking to all 00:20:06.140 --> 00:20:09.579 of those regulations. So from how long you are 00:20:09.579 --> 00:20:12.839 allowed to have guests on shore. and how many 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:16.079 ships are allowed to visit a landing site each 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:18.380 day. So most landing sites you will be able to 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:21.180 have. two ships per day and there's a maximum 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:23.319 number of people that can be at that landing 00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:26.759 site and they also set regulations on time distance 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:29.559 in between ship visits so that wildlife have 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:33.259 chances to reacclimate to the space for themselves. 00:20:33.740 --> 00:20:37.440 There's rules on where you can go and how far 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:40.519 you can go and distances you need to keep from 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:43.720 wildlife. We have really strict biosecurity protocols. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:47.400 thanks to iAuto. So as a guest, you'll see this 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:50.539 on board. You'll have your expedition team, and 00:20:50.539 --> 00:20:52.279 they will have to be going through all of your 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:55.259 gear and making sure that it's biosecure. So 00:20:55.259 --> 00:20:57.839 that means picking out any type of organic matter 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:00.940 from Velcros, from bottoms of your shoes, from 00:21:00.940 --> 00:21:04.960 glove wristbands. We also have to have boot washes 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:08.359 before and after every landing site to make sure 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:11.750 that we're not contaminating. any type of viral 00:21:11.750 --> 00:21:15.009 disease or infection from one space to the next, 00:21:15.230 --> 00:21:19.109 the list goes on. So the story is I think being 00:21:19.109 --> 00:21:22.230 a member of IATO is our biggest and strongest 00:21:22.230 --> 00:21:25.480 way we minimize environmental impact. Then, of 00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:27.960 course, there's other facets of, you know, education. 00:21:28.200 --> 00:21:31.380 We focus a lot on education and making people 00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:33.119 aware, because how do you conserve something 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:35.700 without knowing about it, without realizing it's 00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:38.839 a problem? Why would you stop using plastic bags 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:41.160 if you didn't think it was an issue? I think 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:44.140 we can all agree that education is a huge part 00:21:44.140 --> 00:21:47.920 of that. So education and we also are partners 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:51.119 with a lot of grassroots and charity organizations 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:56.390 that do the work. lay the foundation for sustainability 00:21:56.390 --> 00:22:01.589 and environmental protection themselves. Because 00:22:01.589 --> 00:22:04.170 you've been in the industry for quite some time 00:22:04.170 --> 00:22:08.250 now, have you noticed any changes due to climate 00:22:08.250 --> 00:22:13.130 change? Definitely. Every year I see something. 00:22:13.329 --> 00:22:17.109 I see changes. We're seeing, the last time I 00:22:17.109 --> 00:22:21.119 was down, last year, yeah, last year. There was 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:26.559 a day in mid -season that it was warmer in Antarctica 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:29.700 than it was in San Diego. We were all out in 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:32.720 t -shirts and that was great. But then you look 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:36.640 at these penguins who have yet to do their molt. 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:38.920 Their annual molt was when they lose all their 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:41.519 feathers. So they're still covered in their winter 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:45.900 down, their winter feather plumage. all just 00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:48.940 lethargic on these rocks. And you could tell 00:22:48.940 --> 00:22:52.259 they are so, so hot. It's sad to see because 00:22:52.259 --> 00:22:54.559 when you see temperatures change, even one or 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:58.160 two degrees down in the peninsula, you have shifts 00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:02.359 to the entire season layout of events. And those 00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:05.299 layout of events, I learned over all the years 00:23:05.299 --> 00:23:07.839 working, they're vital. And when they happen 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:10.079 is so important to when the next thing happens. 00:23:10.440 --> 00:23:13.000 So for example, getting to Antarctica in October. 00:23:13.819 --> 00:23:16.420

the environment is covered in snow. These penguins 00:23:16.420 --> 00:23:19.880 get onto the snow banks and they find their mates. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:24.000 They're kind of rehabituating into their colonies. 00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:28.160 And following that, that snow is melting and 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:31.799 they are not able to mate and lay eggs until 00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:34.819 that snow has melted and the rock is showing. 00:23:35.019 --> 00:23:38.339 So the timing for that snow melt is extremely 00:23:38.339 --> 00:23:42.119 important. And then we have, if that shifts at 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:45.839 all, and let's say, That snow is sticking a little 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:48.079 bit longer than it should, but these penguins 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:50.119 are ready to lay eggs. They'll end up laying 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:52.240 eggs on the snow and then those chicks don't 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:55.579 make it. So climate change is all playing a role 00:23:55.579 --> 00:23:59.859 in the events and the timing of the environment 00:23:59.859 --> 00:24:02.319 and things that happen. And it's only getting 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:06.660 worse, sadly. Is that something that, one, you 00:24:06.660 --> 00:24:11.200 educate your visitors on and two, that you're 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:14.660 able to... do anything about i don't mean like 00:24:14.660 --> 00:24:17.900 while you're there doing anything but as an industry 00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:21.480 to try and mitigate some of those things yeah 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:24.359 well as you know climate change is is such a 00:24:24.359 --> 00:24:27.859 it's it's a big topic and there's so many facets 00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:31.619 to it i think for me and i think terra nova stands 00:24:31.619 --> 00:24:35.079 behind this as well that education is a big player 00:24:35.079 --> 00:24:39.170 in awareness as we mentioned and I came into 00:24:39.170 --> 00:24:41.410 this role I'm the founder of a non -profit called 00:24:41.410 --> 00:24:44.890 Ocean Youth Academy and our goal I'm very passionate 00:24:44.890 --> 00:24:48.029 about it our goal is to get polar education to 00:24:48.029 --> 00:24:51.170 kids around the world and the biggest component 00:24:51.170 --> 00:24:54.789 to the curriculum that we give students is just 00:24:54.789 --> 00:24:57.849 forming that link that between the polar regions 00:24:57.849 --> 00:25:02.089 and people's homes and so creating that link 00:25:02.089 --> 00:25:04.009 creating that bridge making people realize that 00:25:04.009 --> 00:25:06.950 what's happening in the polar regions is inextricably 00:25:06.950 --> 00:25:09.910 linked to our homes wherever we are on the globe 00:25:09.910 --> 00:25:12.890 I think through education is a big thing and 00:25:12.890 --> 00:25:17.069 educating our next generation is a huge a huge 00:25:17.069 --> 00:25:20.450 component of what we are passionate and excited 00:25:20.450 --> 00:25:23.789 to implement and support. We also do

a lot of 00:25:23.789 --> 00:25:26.509 education on board through on board lectures. 00:25:26.589 --> 00:25:29.650 We've got an entire team of experts ranging from 00:25:29.650 --> 00:25:33.309 historians and glaciologists and marine biologists, 00:25:33.569 --> 00:25:36.190 ornithologists, and all of these people come 00:25:36.190 --> 00:25:39.329 together with this mixed collective of expertise 00:25:39.329 --> 00:25:43.349 and they share their interpretation of Antarctica. 00:25:43.470 --> 00:25:47.349 And often it does. I think climate change is 00:25:47.349 --> 00:25:51.640 interlaced with. And so I think a huge goal of 00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:53.799 ours as an operator, as a company, is to make 00:25:53.799 --> 00:25:57.480 sure guests go home with more information and 00:25:57.480 --> 00:26:00.980 more knowledge about what's happening in Antarctica. 00:26:01.339 --> 00:26:04.920 Because that, I think, is a very effective tool 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:08.319 to implement change moving forward. What are 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:11.019 some of the comments that you get from people 00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:14.839 that are on the expeditions, either about some 00:26:14.839 --> 00:26:20.400 of those changes or? about having their misconceptions 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:24.400 changed or just you know in general what they 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:28.079 say about being on this expedition i think it 00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:31.240 was it's a really fascinating position to be 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:35.680 in the guiding role is i guess specifically because 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:39.539 it was trip after trip you are implementing a 00:26:39.539 --> 00:26:42.039 once in a lifetime for most of these people a 00:26:42.039 --> 00:26:45.380 once in a lifetime experience and i got to witness 00:26:45.380 --> 00:26:49.759 that trip after trip after trip and that to me 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:52.720 was pretty neat thing to be part of and help 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:55.640 orchestrate in a sense and so a lot of the comments 00:26:55.640 --> 00:26:59.440 were you know life -changing and that this is 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:02.259 an experience that will they will hold on to 00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:05.940 forever and I think the greatest impact I've 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:08.640 seen well I can't actually say that absolutely 00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:10.970 but I was going to say the greatest impact I've 00:27:10.970 --> 00:27:13.069 seen is usually for the young people because 00:27:13.069 --> 00:27:16.109 it opens their eyes to so much that they would 00:27:16.109 --> 00:27:20.349 have otherwise not been aware of. I think that's 00:27:20.349 --> 00:27:22.869 what leads me to be more attracted to focusing 00:27:22.869 --> 00:27:25.650 on the children, the youth, the students. But 00:27:25.650 --> 00:27:29.490 in general, everybody is impacted in a unique 00:27:29.490 --> 00:27:32.869 way. And I think, yeah, it ranges. It absolutely 00:27:32.869 --> 00:27:36.809 ranges. Some people go home ready to make moves 00:27:36.809 --> 00:27:40.769 and be and implement the change that needs to 00:27:40.769 --> 00:27:45.509 be seen in their own communities. I've seen people 00:27:45.509 --> 00:27:49.490 ready to come in in the industry and change their 00:27:49.490 --> 00:27:51.650 careers and say, I want to do this full time 00:27:51.650 --> 00:27:53.890 and I want to do what you do. And that's always 00:27:53.890 --> 00:27:56.750 fun to see and, you know, entertain those conversations. 00:27:56.910 --> 00:28:00.069 And it's a whole mix. That must also be positive 00:28:00.069 --> 00:28:03.289 for you as well, I guess. Of course. Of course. 00:28:03.349 --> 00:28:06.609 Yeah. I mean, how many professions is that the 00:28:06.609 --> 00:28:10.410 case for? I'd say not too many, but we're in 00:28:10.410 --> 00:28:12.849 these really unique set of circumstances. And 00:28:12.849 --> 00:28:26.130 yeah, it's a cool place to be. Ah, there we go, 00:28:26.250 --> 00:28:29.009 another place to add to the bucket list. Possibly 00:28:29.009 --> 00:28:31.210 a little tougher to achieve than some of the 00:28:31.210 --> 00:28:33.609 other places on it, but you do have to dream. 00:28:33.890 --> 00:28:36.470 Having said that, if you've ever been to Antarctica, 00:28:36.809 --> 00:28:39.430 whether for hiking or otherwise, I'd love to 00:28:39.430 --> 00:28:42.099 hear about your experiences. If you do have news 00:28:42.099 --> 00:28:44.779 or suggestions for podcast guests, please do 00:28:44.779 --> 00:28:48.380 get in touch at jim at walkingpost .com. We are 00:28:48.380 --> 00:28:50.380 always looking for guests. It could be about 00:28:50.380 --> 00:28:53.500 a new trail or a new book, could be a walking 00:28:53.500 --> 00:28:56.140 festival, or it could be someone who's done an 00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:59.579 amazing, interesting, or unusual walk somewhere. 00:28:59.799 --> 00:29:02.920 And I would say Antarctica definitely qualifies 00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:05.700 for that. So, I hope you enjoyed this week's 00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:08.480 walkingpost .com podcast, and I hope you have 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:11.140 a great week ahead, hopefully with a walk somewhere, 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:14.960 whether that's in a polar region or Polesworth. 00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:17.359 Until next time, happy trails!