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Shackleton

Environment

Celebrate World Oceans Day: Book Your Place At the Upcoming ‘Whale of a Weekend’!

Can you believe it’s almost here again? This Sunday, June 8th, marks World Oceans Day 2025, and it’s a date I always have circled in my calendar. Why? Well, it’s a day to pause, reflect, and truly appreciate the magnificent, mysterious, and utterly vital blue heart of our planet. From the tiniest plankton to the grandest of the whales, our oceans are brimming with life, regulating our climate, and providing us with so much beauty and wonder.

And that’s what got me thinking. Heading to Dundee end of June, and learning more about the whale research that’s been taking place in and around the remote sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, is a perfect way to celebrate our oceans. From meeting the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists and hearing directly from the team about their ‘Hungry Humpbacks’ research and experiences, to meeting the principal curator of the Natural History Museum AND meeting artist Michael Visocchi, actually seeing the Key Table of the Whale Memorial that will head to South Georgia… these opportunities don’t happen often!

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June 6, 2025
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Environment

Dundee’s Calling! Get Ready for a “Whale of a Weekend” with South Georgia Heritage Trust

Guess what’s on my radar for June? Mark your calendars because the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) is bringing a truly unmissable festival to Dundee, Scotland, from June 26th to 29th, 2025! Get ready for the “Whale of a Weekend” – and trust me, it’s going to be epic.

You know how passionate I am about our planet, its incredible wildlife, and particularly the spectacular island of South Georgia – this event ticks all the boxes. It won’t be just a fun day out but a deep dive into the fascinating, and sometimes heartbreaking history of South Georgia, polar exploration and science and a beacon of hope for wildlife conservation.

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May 26, 2025
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Environment, Travel

An Evening of Antarctic Inspiration: A James Caird Society Dinner to Remember

Last week, I had the immense privilege of attending the bi-annual James Caird Society dinner, at Dulwich College, an event that always promises a deep dive into the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. This year, however, felt particularly special, leaving me filled with inspiration and a renewed sense of awe for those who braved the frozen continent.

The air bubbled with anticipation as members gathered around the James Caird, many of whom have their own incredible stories connected to polar exploration. The evening’s speaker in the Great Hall at Dulwich, was Bob Headland, a renowned writer and polar historian whom I had had the pleasure of sitting next to at the previous dinner. His address was, as expected, a masterclass in storytelling, ‘Non-existent Islands & Rocks of the Southern Ocean’, bringing to life incredible marine tales of endurance and resilience that define the era of Shackleton, Scott, and their contemporaries.

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May 20, 2025
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Environment, Travel

South Georgia’s Silent Guardian: When Art Meets Action

Robert E Fuller

I’m always on the lookout for individuals doing incredible things for our planet, those unsung heroes, the quiet folk making a real difference. Well, wildlife artist and filmmaker, Robert E Fuller is right up there with the best of them. But don’t get me wrong, this severely dyslexic Yorkshire lad, from a farming background, left school early with little to no qualifications save art, and didn’t know if he could make a living from painting.

If you’re a regular here, you know I adore wildlife, art, conservation and especially penguins. Robert E Fuller, with his breathtakingly realistic paintings and live webcams, is a true master of both. His ability to capture the spirit of nature is awe-inspiring. But it’s not just about the art; it’s about the passion that drives it.

Here’s what he told me when we spoke…

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March 27, 2025
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Environment, Travel

From Frozen Shores to Glasgow Glory: Winning Best Documentary at the Glasgow Film Awards!

We are absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured to announce that our documentary,’ ANATARCTICA. A Life Changing Experience’ has won the Best Documentary award at the prestigious Glasgow Film Awards! This recognition from the Glasgow Awards, celebrating the best of Scottish film and beyond, is a monumental achievement for our small team, and for the vital work of the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT) and the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC).

But just what is the work these organisations are doing? Why was my visit there a life changing experience and why did it compel me to want this documentary to be made?

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March 6, 2025
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Environment, Travel

South Georgia Museum: A Hidden Gem in the Southern Ocean

One of the most remote museums in the world

When we booked our trip to Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica, if someone had told me there was a museum on South Georgia, I’d have probably choked on my tea. I mean, think about it – it’s seriously remote!

Miles and miles of ocean, right near Antarctica, and not exactly what you’d call a bustling metropolis. You picture icy landscapes, penguins galore, maybe a research station or two… but a museum? It just seems so unexpected! Like finding a Starbucks in the middle of the Sahara…

But that’s what makes it so brilliant, doesn’t it? The fact that in this wild, isolated place, there’s this dedicated group of people preserving the history of South Georgia, from its whaling past to its incredible natural environment. But there is more… of course!

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February 20, 2025
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Environment, Travel

Whales, Barnacles, and Leftover Rivets: A Sculptor’s Journey to South Georgia

Imagine this: you’re in a sculptor’s studio tucked away in the Scottish Highlands. It used to be a schoolhouse, but now it’s the birthplace of something truly incredible. Michael Visocchi, the sculptor in question, is working on a massive piece, a whale memorial in fact, called “Commensalis” that’s destined for a far-flung location – Grytviken, an abandoned whaling station on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.

Just live, this BBC World Service programme pulls together not just challenges of the sculpture itself, but the journey so far and some of Visocchi’s concerns as well as learning much about South Georgia from Alison Neil, South Georgia Heritage Trust’s Chief Executive and the organisation behind the whale memorial concept.

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January 24, 2025
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Environment, Travel

Standing Next to History

… with a group of like-minded, inspirational people who get together to preserve its memory

Hands up who knows the remarkable story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s voyage to Antarctica on the ship Endurance? It’s the one that took place in 1914 on his endeavour to attempt the first land crossing of the Antarctic, from the Weddell Sea through the South Pole to the Ross Sea.

Remember the part where Shackleton and his men are stranded on Elephant Island? He takes a lifeboat with Frank Worsley, Tom Crean and three others battling treacherous seas and ice for 16 days and 800 miles before reaching the ‘wrong’ side of South Georgia, with mountains between them and the whaling station that could provide the help to rescue his men…

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May 17, 2024
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Environment

‘Audacious Goals’ May Save the Arctic Ice

Blink and you might have missed these news items….

My colleague and fellow adventurer to Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica, Brad Borkan – co-author extraordinaire of ‘Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results‘, writes about how an early explorer, a statesman and an engineer have shaped our current world by setting themselves audacious goals and not being put off by the naysayers!

He pointed out to me that we are seeing these audacious goals now in relation to the Arctic. We know the ice is melting. We know our wildlife – the bears, the seals, whales, foxes, birds – are suffering with the break up and disappearance of the ice shelves that they live, hunt and breed on.

BUT, things are happening! One or two humans are aiming high – audacious goals are needed to save the Arctic. Here is what we are seeing….

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March 12, 2024
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