You know the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child”? Well, it also takes (practically) a village to ensure you have an amazing trip to Antarctica! Many travelers don’t realize how many people make up the expedition staff on any given ship headed to Antarctica. Even on the smaller ships that carry less than 100 passengers, there are a number of sea-hardened and knowledgeable expedition staff on board both to serve as experts and educators, but also to keep safety at its highest.
Cruising past icebergs in a zodiac – somewhere along the Antarctic Peninsula
All ships have an Expedition Leader (or EL for short) who acts as the manager of the primary expedition staff ~ the ones you will be interacting with and learning from the most. There are also the hospitality staff, which are the people who take care of housekeeping and food preparation, etc, as well as the captain, crew and engineers whose job it is to make sure you get to and from Antarctica safely and speedily. The primary expedition staff are the folks who are most often hired both for the expertise in some area of polar travel, as well as their outdoors skills as they are responsible for getting people to and from land, and leading hikes or other excursions ashore.
M/S Expedition staff (G Adventures) assisting passengers at a shore “wet” landing
You can expect on any given departure to have expedition staff knowledgeable in geology, glaciology, ornithology, marine biology, the history of the region, and sometimes just polar travel in general…among other things. There are always amazing educational talks given on these subjects throughout the expedition in order to deepen your understanding of the region, but also to pass the ‘down time’ when you’re not actually outside exploring Antarctica. Some trips have bonus experts aboard such as professional photographers who give workshops on taking photos in the bright white conditions that exist in Antarctica. Yet other departures may have a local musician on board to help entertain in the evening while people are chatting about the day’s adventures and enjoying a drink in the lounge.
M/S Expedition staff (G Adventures) helping unload passengers from a zodiac at Port Lockroy
Expedition staff will serve as both an incredible resource, and as a highlight of your Antarctic voyage. They come from many different countries and backgrounds, and many of them have built their career in expedition work all around the world. When you book your trip to Antarctica, check out the website of the company that operates the ship you’ll be traveling on to see if you can access the staff’s biographies ahead of time. If not, when you receive your voyage documents from the booking company, there is usually a write-up of the staff whose company you will be keeping on your journey. They will undoubtedly be a fascinating and unique bunch.
A very regal looking chinstrap penguin on the Antarctic continent
Do you have a story about a great expedition experience involving excellent staff? Do share on Facebook or Twitter! We love to hear from you!
Heather Thorkelson has been an adventurer for as long as anyone can remember, having visited 18 countries by the time she was 18, lived in 5 different ones by the time she was 23, and had reached all seven continents by 32. She is an avid outdoors-person, devoted mom to a Portuguese water dog, and lives with her partner Sean in Lima when they are not out traipsing the far reaches of the globe. By day, she's a life coach who works with people to create the life they dream of, and she moonlights as Antarctica Travels’ Social Media Ninja. She can be reached at heather @ antarcticatravels.com
All photos courtesy and copyright Heather Thorkelson