Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
[music]
[pause]
>> JARDA VERSLOOT (VO): When leaving Ushuaia,
it's only about a day and a half at sea.
The next morning, the guests wake up
and they're in Antarctica.
[pause]
>> ROBIN WEST (VO): It feels every time
like you're going somewhere special.
[pause]
>> JARDA (VO): And it's, just a beautiful,
serene, white landscape that you cannot explain
unless you've been there.
Waking up that morning and seeing
that for the first time is
it's incredible.
[pause]
>> JARDA: My name is Jarda Versloot,
and onboard I work as the assistant
expedition leader for the Seabourn Quest.
[pause]
>> ROBIN: My name is Robin West,
and I'm going to be the expedition leader
onboard the Seabourn Quest.
[pause]
>> ROBIN (VO): The expedition team
on board the Seabourn ship consists of
about fourteen staff in total.
We will carry guys who specialize
in ornithology, geology, glaciologists.
I always explain it
as having eleven encyclopedias
walking around with you.
[pause]
>> ROBIN (VO): Our
ornithologist will talk about the birds
that we're seeing while we�re going
through the Drake Passage.
And then once we get closer
down to Antarctica depending on where we are,
we might have the historians on to talk
about early explorers down in Antarctica.
>> JARDA (VO): And the historian
will tell us all about
the Shackleton epic adventure
and when we get to Grytviken,
you'll actually visit his grave,
where Shackleton was buried.
[pause]
>> ROBIN (VO): There is always a
continuous shuttle from the shore side
to the ship with the Zodiacs.
>> JARDA (VO): It's all about, also,
the guests' mentality about how much
they would like to do.
>> ROBIN (VO): The great thing is in Antarctica
when you come ashore you can go twenty meters,
sit down and everything is right there
in front of you.
>> JARDA (VO): The great thing about Antarctica
is that the wildlife is guaranteed.
Killer whales, humpback whales, minke whales
>> ROBIN (VO): Seabourn's doing four trips down there,
so each trip will be slightly different
in terms of what you see.
>> JARDA (VO): The crabeater seal,
Weddell seal, leopard seal is fantastic.
[pause]
And going to South Georgia, you'll see fur seals
as well, elephant seals.
>> ROBIN (VO): Any time you go
is a fantastic time to go.
>> JARDA (VO): There is no typical day.
It changes all the time.
>> ROBIN (VO): When you ice cruising,
you're moving at about two, three knots
depending on the ice.
>> JARDA (VO): It is an incredible concept.
You go outside. You're cold.
You come back and then,
go back to your warm, comfortable room.
I'm sure Shackleton would have been very envious
>> ROBIN (VO): On an average day,
the weather really isn't that bad
the magnificent thing with Antarctica
is a sunny day is gorgeous.
>> JARDA: I mean, after all,
there's summer in Antarctica,
and I think I've been colder in Scotland
on a trip.
>> ROBIN: Oh, without a doubt...
>> JARDA: on a trip when it's wet cold,
than ever in Antarctica.
>> ROBIN (VO): One of the stops
we're gonna be making is in Port Stanley.
>> JARDA (VO): The Falklands in general
is a wonderful place for wildlife, as well,
and you get extra species of
penguins like the rockhopper,
the king penguin and the ...
>> ROBIN (VO): Magellanic ...
>> JARDA (VO): Magellanic penguin.
>> ROBIN (VO): The island itself is gorgeous.
[pause]
>> ROBIN (VO): What's always great to see
in the Chilean fjords is the contrast
between those beautiful green forested landscape
and then these massive glaciers
which roll down over the rocks
into the ocean itself.
>> JARDA (VO): I've got pictures
from ten years ago that I compared with pictures
from the last few years and
you can see glaciers receding drastically.
>> ROBIN (VO): Adélie penguin numbers
have dropped drastically
over the last couple a years
in terms of breeding and in terms of rookeries
because there's too much moisture,
it's too warm
>> JARDA (VO): I would say come
to Antarctica as soon as you can,
regardless.
[pause]
>> JARDA: Robin was saying yesterday,
the only bad thing about coming on a trip
to Antarctica is that every other trip
after that will be disappointing.
It is an experience of a lifetime.
[pause]
>> ROBIN: It's incredible be out on glaciers,
see penguins, see whales,
and then in the evening,
come back,
glass of champagne,
dress
and enjoy the luxuries of the ship.
It is, like Jarda said,
something Shackleton, [laughs]
I'm sure would've been very interested in.
[laughs]
[pause]
>> JARDA (closeup): I mean, experience Antarctica,
but do it in comfort.
It's a great combination.
[pause]
>> ROBIN (closeup): You get there
in the morning and you sail away,
you feel like you're the only person
in Antarctica.
>> JARDA (VO): It's just incredible.
It's, it's a wonderful place. It really is.