16. Arctic & Antarctica

Penguin chicks, the Shackleton Crossing and the so-called polar plunge. Plus, popping out in your pyjamas in the cold at 2am! 

In this episode, you'll hear about the Arctic AND Antarctic in one programme - with facts only a travel expert would know: from travelling, to wildlife, to food and drink.

For a free factsheet on the varied offerings of the Arctic and Antarctic, email May at her website: https://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/may.swan-easton

Transcript

Penguin chicks, the Shackleton crossing and the so-called polar plunge plus popping out in your pyjamas in the cold at 2:00 AM. Welcome to episode 16 of travels with May.

hello, I'm May Swan-Easton. And in this episode, our destination is both the Arctic and the Antarctic. I keep listening because I'll be telling you how you can download a free fact sheet on the location. But let's get straight into the conversation I had with James Turner, who is the business development manager for Yukon Europe at Aurora expeditions and over the next 40 minutes or so you'll hear about the north and the south poles with facts, only an expert with.

Welcome. Hello. Hi mate. Thanks very much for having us today. We're delighted to be here. So can you give me some background and history about Aurora expedition cruises? Who are they? How long have they been operating for instance? Yeah, absolutely. Well, if you haven't heard of us, rural expeditions have actually been around for 30 years.

We were founded by legendary Australian Explorer, Greg Mortimer, and Greg really is one of the godfathers of the whole expedition cruise industry. Greg. And his wife, uh, were deeply inspired by these incredibly remote destinations that they had experienced and explored, and ultimately wanted to share this with the world.

So they found it or expeditions with that real pioneering vision of wanting to take small groups to these most pristine destinations, but above all, to do it in a way that was very responsible and respectful to the environments. What exactly is an expedition? How does it differ from say an ocean cruise or.

Yeah, I think that the key thing really is that first of all, things were a lot smaller. I mean, our capacity is on average, just 132 guests. And we're all about giving guests that real true, authentic immersion in the environments that we, that we go to. We're not about just visiting, you know, place a place B play C on an item.

It's about going somewhere and letting mother nature really dictate what we do. So when we go out on an expedition, we don't have any fixed agenda. We really like to think of the, the ship is a, a base camp for exploration, and we'll go out there multiple times a day. And it's the, really the weather, the wildlife and mother nature, which decides that decides what we do.

And that's what makes it so truly special. So on a, an expedition, you know, no two voyages are ever the same and, uh, Uh, and we're just going to get out there and get exploring and get really deep into the heart of the destination. Uh, yeah, exactly. And, and unlike the ocean cruise, what would you don't have to pay for any excursions?

So, you know, we'll get the Zodiacs out multiple times a day and go. Maybe I'm Cruz amongst the icebergs. We might set foot to shore and go for lots of hikes we'll visit in communities. Um, perhaps visit some research stations. Uh, the opportunities for exploration are endless, but all of that is, is just included within the package.

So, yeah, it's an amazing way of seeing a destination. It sounds like how far are phones to people? Book an expedition case. For us, it's typically really, I would say about 18 months beforehand. Um, for us, if we still have availability year out, that's very, very late. Um, again, because that shapes a small, we are very much in a global market.

So these things do sell that. And I think there's some excitement that really comes with booking these big trips. Sort of planning it well in advance. And having that trick to look forward to is, is really exciting, but it gives you, I guess, a lots of chance to, to really kind of research where they're going.

And I think the more effort you put in before you go to a destination setting, the more you'll you'll get out of it as well. Yeah, I agree with that. Definitely. I know that our, all our expedition offers cruises to lots of different destinations, including Alaska, Russia, Asia, and even the British Isles, but I'd like to really concentrate on Arctic and the Antarctic cruises today.

With that in mind, which region would you choose to see first Arctic or Antarctica, or? It's a very, very difficult question. Um, but if I was being honest and if you wanted to do both and I would highly recommend you do both, I would say to always start with, with the Arctic, I'd say both destinations are equally as perspective.

As one another, they're just very, very different. So the Arctic is, is wonderful and that we get to meet potentially anywhere communities. Um, you know, you're going to see incredible scenery sort of glaciated scenery, but also lots of Tundras, a beautiful contrast, uh, in the environment. The key thing really is that the wildlife focus is still there, but it takes a lot more work finding it.

And again, that goes back to the human element of, of the Arctic over the thousands of years, I suppose wildlife is used to being hunted by local communities. So when we go out there, it really is a true safari in the sense that we really have. Really caffeine navigate, you know, finding wildlife and be very, very quiet.

And, and when we have these interactions, it's very, very special. Now, when we go to Montauk to Garret's on a whole nother level, in terms of wildlife, you know, it's not used to being hunted. There are no human settlements there other than scientists that are right in research stations. So you will literally, you know, land on a beach and stand amongst hundreds of thousands of penguins potentially, and, and have all of those kinds of wildlife interactions that you might.

So for me do the Arctic first. And I think when you go to Antarctica, it just makes it even more, more special. Again, when's the best point to visit both of these regions? Yeah. So we'll only go in the corner of spring and summer months of the destination. So for the Arctic, you're looking at may through to September, um, really the, the.

The sun, uh, which is, which is wonderful. It gives us lots of opportunity for, for wildlife observation. We are the kind of company that if we spot polar bear, even at three in the morning, we'll be sure to wake up our guests and let them know. That's all very much part of the excitement of what we do. So a true polar safari, if you like.

Uh, and then on top of the gates, the awestruck spring and summer. So we're looking at November through tomorrow. And I'd say there isn't a best time to go. It really depends on what you're, what you're hoping to see. So if we look at November time, that's really the Antarctic spring. Everything is pristine white.

Absolutely. That picture postcard, Antarctica that you can imagine. Um, you know, the icebergs really are twinkling, light glitter. As far as the eyes can see when we land on beaches, you will observe, um, Gentoo penguins, uh, collecting pebbles to build that. And she keeps stealing pebbles from, from one another, of course, which is wonderful.

Um, we also have wonderful sunsets at that time of year, kind of November time that the sun was probably setting, I think about sort of 10, 11 o'clock at night from memory. Um, and then a few hours later, it's, it's rising back up again. Now, as we move more into the sort of height of summer, say January time, um, that's a great time.

For really seeing the penguin chicks. So our penguins have now laid their eggs. The chicks are starting to hatch and that's always a wonderful time. And they're inquisitive. They're so inquisitive. Um, I'll just say I've sat there on a beach and, you know, Quality minded, my own business and a little penguin chick came up and picked my boot.

They're not phased by humans. They're in quite an incredibly inquisitive. Um, and you know, it's amazing to have those interactions. They are looking at you like you're some alien species. And that's very much it, you know, we are visitors to their world at the end of the day. Um, but it's also a great time for potentially spotting whales.

Um, but really there's, I suppose, 20 to 23 hours of daylight there. Um, and you know, wildlife is really in abundance. Everything is buzzing and everything is very much happening out there. It's, it's a magical time as we go through to late summer, um, sort of February, March time. Humpback whales by that time, we'd have really had a good feast on the krill down in Antarctica, and we find they tend to be, you know, particularly acrobatic then.

So if you're really into seeing Marine species, such as the whales and seals and maybe see leopard seal hunting penguins, that's a great time to, to go out and also really popular time with photographers is we have these sunsets that again, last for many hours. There's no such thing as golden hour down in Antarctica, you have golden hours, which is a, really a Mecca for photography.

So yeah, within that, there isn't a best time. It really just depends on what you're hoping to see. Um, but it does come with a warning. You know, we, we do say these are trips of a lifetime, but I can't tell you how many clients have gone once and wanted just to go back again. These things really do get any blood and, and standing in such a pristine untouched environment and setting foot on, on tots.

Kerr is just the most magical experience. Oh, hope I get to experience that myself one day. How many ships do you have any fleets? Yeah, so, um, our second one is being built as we speak. So currently, uh, there is, uh, um, our current ship is the Greg Mortimer, which was launched in November. 2019. Um, and not really as a game-changer of a ship in the industry.

I know we've talked about this may and you've seen the pictures of the vessel, but it really looks quite different to anything else that's that's out there. Yeah. The, the bar was, is inverted. It's a, what we call an, uh, an expo design. It's a bit like the nose of the dolphin or the beak of a, to. And it really is a game changer in the industry and respective it's much more comfortable for our guests as the design of the bow has a wave piercing effect.

So rather than riding up and down swells like you would on a traditional ship, this design allows it just to call through the water, like a hot knife through butter. And that design has helped to reduce motion and reduce seasickness by about 50%. But crucially, um, that is. 60% more fuel efficient with an 80% reduction in emissions, even compared to our previous festivals.

So it's a truly pioneering design so much so that now other operators have even cottoned on and sort of copying the same concepts, but we'll always be the first and we're deeply proud of that. And how many passengers can the ships take? Yeah, so it's an average of 1 32 guests capacity. Um, we can actually take many, many more guests, I think even about 209.

But for us, keeping things small is absolutely imperative when we're going to these regions, you know, no one wants to go to Antarctica and have to queue to get off their ship or for weight turn, to make a landing. So we want to give guests the maximum amount of time assure we want them to. To really get to experience, you know, mother nature intimately when we go to these places and that sets us apart, you know, there are lots of operators out there who are creating bigger and bigger ships, but we're deliberately keeping things small and that's really dear to our hearts and improving the important for the.

I know all the cabins the same grade, or do you have different types? Yeah, we have various types of cabins. I would say 80% of the cabins have balcony. Um, you know, again, you just don't know when you might spot something. So being able to pop up in your pajamas at two in the morning can be quite helpful.

Um, but we do have yes, beautiful, uh, junior suites and suites on board as well. Um, so yeah, lots of, lots of different categories, but all beautiful cabins. They've got a beautiful sort of neutral deco scheme that you'll find throughout the ship. Um, lots of love the artwork. Again, that's taken from our industry leading photographers, uh, and they are really stunning actually, but you know, we're all about getting off the ship, but the actual ship itself is beautiful.

And what's the average age of an expedition cruise past. Yeah with us, uh, guests tend to be over the age of 55. Um, tend to be retired and certainly very well traveled. Um, we have a lot of guests that have done things like Galapagos before. Um, perhaps they've, um, you know, been to places like India or done things like the Rocky mountain air train in Canada, we'll be in on like an Alaskan cruise.

Um, but the youngest age we'll take on board is from eight years. Um, but we've even had. In the nineties, come out with us having, as long as you have that adventurous spirit and a passion for, for the great outdoors, you'll absolutely love coming out with us. And do you cater as well for solo travelers?

Yes, absolutely. Um, we will always do a cabin mate finding service. So, um, if we have a sailor traveler, that's happy to share with a guest of the same gender, we can match them up with, uh, with a buddy. Uh, and that's a great way of avoiding any, any sub. Um, from time to time, we do have voyages with no single supplements at all.

So always worth reaching out to, to me. And, you know, if you are interested in, she'll be able to, to help you, you know, check what deals we have. Um, but otherwise our standard under occupancy is, is 50%. And what is there to do on board? When you're not off it, um, you know, looking at looking for bears and penguins, et cetera.

Yeah. So a key part of the program really is the kind of edge educational aspect of what we do when you go to somewhere like Antarctica, ultimately. We want you to become an ambassador for the destination. So for us, the learning aspect of, of an educational aspect is, is deeply, deeply important. So for example, when we come back from, from a landing, we might have a lecture and we'll have a world-class guide, you know, really kind of bring a deeper understanding of, of what we've just seen.

And the topics were ranged from all sorts of things from geology. Um, we'll obviously look at parallel history or nephrology. We've got incredible. Xplorers themselves and scientists on board naturalists and Marine biologists. And, and really for me, they are the superstars of what we do. And it's because of them that allows us to get well and truly off the grid.

So certainly there'll be lots of lectures throughout the, the. Uh, of course on the ship, we've got a gym for those that want even more active adventure. Um, we've got a beautiful sauna, which I'll tell you is brilliant after doing a, what we call the polar plunge, where you can actually jump off our ship in the Arctic or Antarctic waters.

And then we'll do that. Um, have you done that? I have, I can claim not have swam and all of the great nations of the world. Um, it is absolute madness jumping in the Arctic, uh, Asian, uh, as, as down south as well. Um, but you know, we get quickly out of the water. We will give our guests a quick shot of vodka and then you'll make a mad dash to this owner or the hot tubs on the, on the ship.

But to be honest, you know, um, there's so much going on in terms of off the ship and, you know, mother nature, as I say, really provides the entertainment that after you've had your dinner and things in the evening, you'll probably want to retire to bed ready for the new day of adventure. So yeah, there's no shortage of entertainment.

And actually for me, going to sleep was with the most difficult thing, you know, Every time you look out your window or out on the balcony, or whether you're out on deck, there's always something absolutely spectacular to see. So making the decision to go to bed can be quite difficult at times. Yeah. I can imagine you're probably still replaying in your mind everything that you've seen and experienced during the day.

And that can be hard to just absolutely. And, and funny to say that I'd say for when I went down, so I'm taught to carry it. Actually I'd say took a good few days for it to really sink. Where I was it, everything is just on another scale to anything I've ever seen before. And there's no frame of reference to anything that we know.

You know, there's no trees. There's no, cause there's no other people you're just in this, this real wilderness surrounded by. You know, incredible wildlife. Uh, and it's just so much to take in. It's totally total kind of sensory overload, but, but truly magical. And what sort of meal basis can I expect to onboard?

Is it full board? All inclusive. Yeah. So we'll include a lovely breakfast lunch afternoon tea. Beautiful. Sit down. For course, evening meal. We include beer, wine, soft drinks with the evening meal. Teas coffees, hot chocolate cocaine's are available 24 hours a day free of charge. I will do wonderful captains, cocktail parties and things on the shake.

Well, we'll have lots of cocktails for our guests. Um, so yeah, no short shortage of food and drink on board. That's for sure. So what sort of clothes would I need to wear on board or the cruise is it's all about layering actually can be surprisingly warm when we go to the polar destinations. Um, I'm not lying when I can say I've stood on a beach in Antarctica, wearing a t-shirt into the sun is incredibly intense.

Bouncing off the snow and the glaciers. So I suppose I describe it as going to like going to the Alps in March, for example, it can be surprisingly warm, even though you're in such a mountainous environment. However, that being said, you can have four seasons in the space of an hour when you were somewhere.

And I can talk to you. Layering is, is key. Particularly when the winds are whipping off the glaciers, you know, the katabatic winds, they can be quite nippy. Um, so you'll need to pack base layers, which tend to be made of nylon or polyester. So very breathable fabrics. They are kind of long Johns and then like a sort of a long sleeve, um, almost like a pajama top that's breathable on top of that.

You'll then need your mid layers. So it will be like a very light fleece trousers. Um, very sort of thin, very breathable again. Your top will be probably like a fleece jacket again, or the down synthetic down mid layer that we actually provide our guests and they get to keep them after the void as well.

And then on top of that, you'll then have your wind proof waterproof jacket. Um, we provide them for all our expeditioners. There'll be waiting for, for them when they arrive on the ship. Uh, and they, again, get to keep them, uh, after the voyage. And I use my jacket here all the time here in the UK, particularly recently, as it's been rather well, the nippy and our British Arctic winter.

Um, but yeah, so really lamb is key. And then of course, you're going to need your, your hats, sunglasses, um, gloves. Uh, and do you take lots of sunscreen, as I say, the sun is particularly intense and, and you'll certainly get covering your face after a few days when you're, when you're down in Antarctica. And what about footwear footwear?

We provide, um, insulated muck boots or Wellington boots. Um, they're on the ship and they're available to rent, uh, free of charge. Um, and, and we just asked the guests to use those beats because we actually have special environmentally friendly products, which we use to clean the boots in between every landing.

So we're not cross contaminating the various landing locations that we go to dinner in the evenings. Is that quite casual dress. You don't have to, it's not black tie or anything like that. Yeah. So we're, we're a very much. True. We are truly Australian spirited. Um, you know, and, uh, it's very, very relaxed on board, you know, there's no, there's no dressing up.

You know, I think for a captain's cocktail party, I think I went all that and put shifts in, you know, um, very, very chill with, and that's really important. And that Australian spirit, you know, is fine through, throughout everything we do, you know, Expedition team, for example, love to join. I guess, that dinner that joined them for a beer in the bar.

And they're always on hand to, to answer any questions. And that's something that thing that makes us truly showing in this, this, uh, expedition world you mentioned earlier on about the Zodiac's going out quite a few times now there's ODAC, so that the Dean gays almost aren't, they, that at that you got put on the water.

Oh, there are all the excursions included or are there's others that you can pay X. Yeah. So I suppose for guests that want to experience somewhere like the Arctic for Antarctica in it, perhaps a more unique way we do offer some pre bookable activities, which are kind of really intensive programs. And that would be things like diving, um, PODER, snorkeling.

Kayaking, um, ski touring, snowboard, touring, um, camping out on the Antarctic to guys, all these sort of, you know, incredible, uh, opportunities. So they would be for an additional charge, which is, you know, bookable, um, beforehand. One of my favorite activities that we offer, um, is in south Georgia, we actually offer the Shackleton crossing of south Georgia, which is an expedition done over three days.

Uh, it's a 50 kilometer Trek. Um, You know, you'll need to have experience in using ice axes and crampons for that one, but that's an incredible adventure, literally following in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton, who is, you know, certainly one of my heroes and I'm sure an inspiration to, to millions of people perhaps considered the greatest leader of all time.

So to follow his footsteps as he did, you know, a hundred years ago is a, is a truly incredible experience. It sounds amazing. Um, do I have to be able to swim in order to participate in any of the boat excursion? No, not for any of the kind of Zodiac based trips. It's only if you're doing something like snorkeling or something where you're clearly going to be in the waterway, you need to be able to swim, but otherwise, you know, it's all very safe.

The Zodiacs are very nimble, very sturdy. Um, you know, when you set a board, you're not going to have any issues, you know, it's all very safe. Um, and then when we land on the beaches, you know, the most you'll kind of get into the water might be. Sort of, um, maybe ankle shin sort of deep in the water as we get out of the Zodiac, but, um, you're not going to be need to swim unless you need to do want to do the polar plunge.

Of course, I'm not sure about that day, so I'm sure polar bears are quite high on everyone's agenda. I know they would be on mine because that's why I particularly want to go on an expedition cruise. Am I right in saying that you can only see them, um, or. Cozy in the Arctic circle. Is that right? Yeah. So in the Arctic, um, the classic destination to really see polar bears, certainly for, for guests based in the UK and Europe is foul barred, um, you know, wonderful islands up in the north air where, where there's lots of opportunity, hopefully to spot them.

Other destinations that we offer would be the Northwest passage. Um, there's an area called Lancaster sand in the Northwest passage, which is a, basically a wildlife migratory super highway. Um, that's one of the kind of great places to spot polar bear. There's lots of, um, fish and seals kind of passing through this highway.

And of course, wherever we find food source, we'll, we'll find polar bear. Lastly is I suppose, Wrangel island in the Russian Arctic, which is another destination that we explore. If polar bears are at the top of your list that you want to see then wrangle on. And for me would be the absolute golden ticket, you know, um, it's home to over 300 mothers that give birth to their young every year.

And it's a tiny little island only about 50 miles wide. And just to give you a sense, How many polar bears you can see, I think on a recent expedition, uh, one of our guides was out there and she looked on the horizon and she sort of did a double take. And she, she thought she saw a flock of sheep. Well, of course she gets closer in the Zodiac and she realizes there are dozens and dozens of polar bear roaming.

You know, literally it looks like a flock of sheep. There are so many. Um, so if, if polar bears high on the agenda, then, then run the line and the thing would be a truly special place. It's a world UNESCO heritage site. It's a very specially protected area up in the Russian Arctic, very few have ever gone there.

And I think that would be an incredible opportunity. Yeah, it sounds amazing. Definitely. And what about birdwatching? Is that quite big? Um, or is that, is, is there lots of opportunities to do that in the Arctic and then absolutely. Yeah. We'll always have an ornithologist on as part of the expedition team and yeah.

And bird life is just as important as the Marine life. So we'll always be looking up as well as down. Places again, like we touched on with Rangle line and the Russian far east is, is an incredible place for, for, for birdwatching. Um, one of my favorite birds that are out there is called the Crested all pilots.

And the reason being is because you can actually smell these birds before you can, you can actually see them, um, from quite some distance away, they give off a smell. That's just like Tangerine. So if you ever. Tangerine when you're out in the Arctic you'll know that there are Crested all pilots around the corner.

I think it's an amazing evolution, but again, wrangle islands full of snuggy, snowy, owls, um, Peregrine, Falcons, you know, incredible bird life out there in Svalbard. And there's an area called Auki village, which is home to one of the top bird cliffs anywhere in Europe. And we hope to spot thousands of Gwyneth could get them out, some puffins out there.

You know, there are incredible interactions to be had. And Sydney on every voice, that'd be wonderful interactions with birds. You've got an ongoing commitment to responsible, respectful travel, but can you tell me how else are you minimizing a footprint on the planet? Yeah, well, some, some wonderful news is that literally just a few weeks ago, we're now a hundred percent carbon neutral certified.

Um, and over the coming years, we hope to have a B Corp certification as well. And really that's the. Every single aspect of what we do from the ships to what goes on in the head office. And it's about balancing profit with our commitment to, you know, being responsible and be, you know, really treasuring the environment.

And we've really looked at every aspect of what we do. Yes. The obvious thing is that there are no single use plastics on board, but we're taking that. Uh, a step further, if you like, we were trying to eliminate plastics from the whole process. There's a lot, of course that goes on behind the scenes with plastics, you know, right through to what we use in the head office in terms of just a pen, you know, and just trying to get rid of plastics from, from every, every touch point.

Um, the ships themselves, we we've talked about earlier with the X-bar design, they're truly pioneering. We treat, they are very much roving ambassadors for conservation. They're the cleanest vessels out there in the area. Um, we're all about champing championing the environments. We do lots of citizen science projects on the ship.

Guests get to join our scientists and world-class guides in real world research. Um, they can join them in various studies that we're going to be doing. I think there are seven key studies, uh, in partnership with institutions such as Nash, Nasser, and national geographic. Um, we'll be collecting real world data, which is invaluable.

For the future preservation and protection of the environments, you know, we might go out on a Zodiac, uh, special, a Zodiac cruise looking for humpback whale. And then when we see the humpback whale, we'll be making observations, trying to capture maybe photos of the flood, patternings on them to try and track them, you know, for, for the future.

Um, we're going to be doing observations, um, looking at the sky, doing atmospheric observations and collecting data, um, getting hydrometers that we'll be, um, doing measurements on phytoplankton and microplastics in these locations. And the reason actually is. Scientists based all over the world don't necessarily have the opportunity to go out to and talk Antarctica.

Well, we think we'll see, as we seeing, as we've got scientists and Marine biologist on board, then it's a great opportunity for them to be collecting this data. Uh, and I think it's a wonderful opportunity for our guests to, to join them in collecting that data and, and put their name on some, some real world, uh, research.

On top of that with the ships, we have, um, you know, very special, uh, waste management systems, water management systems, um, write downs where our new ship, the Sylvia role, even just how the pool is being heated. We fought about the environment. We're not, we're going to be using. He coming from the engine of the ships to heat the swimming pool on the festival.

So we're not using any extra fuel to, to heat the swimming pool for it, for an example. Um, so really there's so much going on, um, right down again to the food that we, so we're going to be sourced sustainably. It really is endless may. And I have to say I'm so proud to be part of a company that put, you know, the environment at the heart of what we do.

That is absolutely what we're all about here at, uh, It's amazing. All the things that you are doing, and I hope and wish that other companies follow, follow suit and follow your lead. And so I must ask you, what's your most personal. Best memory that you've ever had in the regions on a, on an expedition cruise.

Yeah, that's it, I'm diddly quite a different difficult question. And I suppose if you asked me tomorrow, I might might give you a different answer. I'm very, very blessed and count my lucky stars every day. For some of the experiences I've got to have. But when I think about it, I think, um, there was just this magical moment.

Um, when I was down in, on taught to care, we'd got back in the Zodiacs and basically the ship was moving between locations. So on our voyages, will we, we don't just stay in one location throughout the day. We'll we'll move the ship to different. And that was this one day that we were basically relocating the ship to a new area to, to visit some remote islands.

And we're just going through this incredible CIS, um, and the ship is just crawling, maybe one knot. Um, and we're out there sort of stood over the bow, watching the by thrusters of the ship, kind of pushed the icebergs out the way. Um, and there was this incredible color just erupting from the ocean, these incredible turquoises and beautiful blue hues that were just.

You know, erupting out of the sea and it was just magical, but our members just standing out there and looking as far as the eye could see the ice was twinkling, like get glitter. And I'm sure I could see for probably a hundred miles in every direction, just this world of ice. And it really just twinkled like litter is the, any way I can describe it.

Um, it was that perfect blue, but day the, you know, the sun was shining. Um, I was just magical. I mean, even now I think about it and I still get goosebumps, but. I think it's the hardest thing to try and describe. And even the photos I have just don't do it justice, but, um, but every day, you know, we had similarly special moments, but when I think of my time in Antarctica, that's certainly one that, that comes to mind really described.

Well, cause I was there with you then when you was explaining it about, you know, the glitter and Smartling, that does sound amazing. So where would you like to explore next, James? You must've been. Yeah, I'm very, very, uh, lucky. Um, I know we touched on Wrangel island dirty. I think that would definitely have to be up there.

And, um, if I had the opportunity, I'd love to get out to the Russian far east in general. Um, Kamchatka is an area that, that particular. Interests me, uh, coincidentally own it. And he saw a documentary last night with Steve , who was out in, in Kamchatka. And he was kayaking down there as you part of a river, which is an incredible area.

And one of the destinations that we expect. But the reason for, for com checker is, is there any way I can describe it? It's like taking Alaska, uh, and taking Iceland and sticking the two together and you just get this melting pot of two incredible wildernesses. So, um, you have the kind of , uh, volcanic landscape of Iceland on steroids out in the Russian far east.

And then you have the wildlife side of. So, um, to give you kind of some sense of the kind of volcano side, there are over 30 volcanoes, I think had income checker. Many of them are over 15,000 feet in height, so huge volcanoes that dwarf anything that you'll find in Iceland. Um, and then we have the wilderness.

It's time to something like 10,000 brown beds, one of the highest concentrations on the planet. Uh, and the reason being is because all of this volcanic activity is made the, I suppose, the, the soils and the river systems, very fertile and that's, um, encourages billions of tons of salmon every year to migrate through the rivers there.

And, and again, wherever we find fish and salmon, we're going to find terrestrial predators. So. It's an incredible place to go. Um, so few Westerners have been there. So few Russians themselves have even been to, to, to the Russian far east and . Um, so I think for me that would be something truly, truly special to, to, to see, uh, I'll keep my fingers crossed that one day we'll we'll get out there, but yeah, a magical destination.

And if you haven't heard of it, I definitely recommend having a look online and reading about it. It's a very inspiring destiny. It sounds like it. So do you have any top tips for someone taking an expedition cruise for the, and my big tip and this might sound obvious is to take more memory cards for your camera than you might possibly think you'll ever need.

I can't tell you how many tens of thousands of photos have taken on, on every voyage of being very lucky to, to have been on. But that being said, my, my biggest tip, conversely, is at least once on the voice. Please leave your comer in, in, in your cabin. Um, just go out in the Zodiacs, leave the camera behind.

Uh, I just really be at one with nature. It's so easy to get stuck on the lens and you can always feel like you're watching things from a TV screen. So I think my biggest tip would be to leave the camera at least once, you know, in your cabin. Um, you know, and I think your experience will be all the richer for it.

That's brilliant. Thank you. So I know some speaking to a lot, my own clients that an expedition cruise is on most people's wishlist, and it's just moved last minute to the top of my list now, um, after speaking with you today, so thank you for that. It sounds, it really does sound like one of the lifetime experiences, um, to do so.

Thank you very much for joining us today, James and sharing all your knowledge and your expertise. Um, The experience on expedition cruising. So a real pleasure and thanks everyone for listening. And we hope to welcome your board. One day would be wonderful for free fact sheet on visiting the Arctic and Antarctica with some great hints and tips.

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