“I tell you I was born on the seashore! I bathed in the waters of the sea! It gave me food and it gave me peace, and its fascinating distances fed my dreams... I have to smile for the salt of the sea is in my blood, and there may be ten thousand roads over the land, but they shall never confuse me, for my heart's blood will ever return to its beautiful source.”
Arturo – Ask the Dust, J. Fante
“To come to Antarctica was one of my dreams – it's such a pristine place where animals are untouched. That was one of the reasons I wanted to come, to try and get the essence of this pristine place.”
“I think I'm still digesting it all. It was hard to be professional at the same time – I need to go again”
Cristina, debut crew member/trainee zodiac driver/photographer, Santiago
“The most amazing place I have been to. The place by itself is extraordinary, but the fact that most of the passengers are cool people makes it nice too. The fact that the crew and food are good... Together it somehow feels like a family cruise. I'm a little lost, overwhelmed by everything that's happened. Now I have to somehow try and convey that on film and give a little something back.”
Bertrand, film-maker, Paris.
“My first trip was incredible – I felt like an explorer. It was very difficult to do my first landing especially. I think it was on Aitcho Island, I landed first before the passengers and I had in my head this song: Vangelis, The Conquest of Paradise. I couldn't believe that I was going to land there. I was snow blind looking at the landscape, then I got there and I saw the penguins. It was like they were receiving me. It was very nice – very emotional.”
Rodrigo, photographer/zodiac driver/crew member, Santiago
“I was filming a couple of penguins and another one walked right up to me. I shut the camera off because it seemed so much more immediate to be with this little being next to me than with the camera. It just stood and stared at me for the longest time, cocking its head, opening its wings and eventually walking away. It was the most amazing thing... like being with any animal when you realise that they're very curious about you too – a little afraid– but that they want to stand next to you and just watch.”
“I've been travelling for two months now and it's absolutely the highlight of my trip so far. I think the people have been absolutely extraordinary – people who do vastly different things from me have been great to listen to. Everyone has been thrilled all the same.”
Beth, artist, California.
“It's completely different to sail down here. Everything changes every trip, every day, every hour. You feel the conditions change very quickly. For example, when we were in the Gerlache StraitXX it looked very nice for sailing, then we get there and there is a big storm, ice, brush-ice... You need a lot of attention. Every trip, every schedule, has to be very flexible because of the weather. We exchange information with other ships nearby, to compare weather conditions and see if we can get a good forecast. The principal thing is safety.”
“I sleep when it's possible. With Antarctica, I sleep maybe 2 or 3 hours, sometimes not at all. It all depends on the ice. When the ship is very safe, anchored with no current or wind or ice, I can take breaks.”
Ernesto, ship captain, Santiago
“The size was just unbelievable, the enormity of the landscape was phenomenal, the richness of the land... I think I had this thing in the back of my mind that there are different parts of Antarctica that you can see, but it's fixed at a certain point – I didn't expect that I could go on a zodiac and see five different landscapes in one bay and experience the essence of it, and the quietness. I had seen enough documentaries on penguins to know what the colonies looked like, but when you see it live it's overwhelming. I thought some of the scenery was overwhelming too – it was so big, to see it all...”
“For me this was something else, something spiritual – this was the soul reaching out. I almost thought I had been here one time before, because it drew me back. I can't compare it to any place.”
Frank, print guru, Toronto/Paisley
“I try not to manage expectations – my job on that side is easy, because Antarctica does it all.”
Pablo, expedition leader, Bariloche (Argentina)
“I love the sea. I spent my life near the sea and the sea is in my soul. When I was a child, I went to the beach and I met an old sailor who told me about this part of the world. He had travelled around Cape Horn by sailing boat. I always had this dream to see this part of the world. Next year I will be 50, so this is a present for myself – the trip of my life.”
“In my mind I have fixed an image of a white mountain and the colour of the sea. It's an image that relaxes me... This place is unique. To see this land, to experience the silence, you understand that the world is great – huge – and you are just a spot in the universe. You can see the largest of nature... I'm sorry, I don't have the English for the sensations...”
Fabio, chemist, Cervo (Italy)