An expedition to Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. For some, it's a dream come true. For others, it's simply a check off the old bucket list. Regardless of your motivation for traveling to Antarctica, it's increasingly important to choose an operator that advocates for responsible travel and follows IAATO's guidelines.
What is IAATO? The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators. The organization was founded in 1991 by several tour operators who realized that the boom in tourism to Antarctica could potentially have serious environmental impacts. They got together to create a set of guidelines for Antarctic-bound outfitters. IAATO meets once a year to evaluate all policies, procedures, and tasks.
Upon embarking on your cruise with one of IAATO's members, you will have an IAATO briefing where you learn about the history of the organization and how very important it is that all travelers abide by these policies. It is for the safety of each passenger and the expedition crew, as well as the wildlife and continent of Antarctica itself.
Learning about IAATO (Molly Hutchison)
Here are a few of the guidelines discussed during the IAATO briefing onboard:
“Don’t Pack a Pest” - Clean all gear with a vacuum to avoid introducing any non-native species (seeds, plants, foreign bacteria). Your expedition team will help vacuum your gear down to the velcro and zippers and pockets.
“Leave No Trace” - No waste is thrown overboard when below 60 degrees south. All research stations and expedition vessels utilize storage containers to dispose of all waste, which are then shipped out.
Protect wildlife - Do not approach wildlife within 5 meters/15 feet. Do not feed. Do not touch. Give them the right of way (penguin highways!).
Protect the vegetation - Do not walk on moss or lichen. It can take decades to regenerate and is very sparse in the region.
Protect the environment - No fires or burning of garbage. Do not remove any rocks, sand, or fossils.
I encourage you to review the visitor guidelines to familiarize yourself before your trip.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
