The polar regions: inhospitable for many, inhabited by few. They are captivating to humankind in a way that transcends any social constructs we have of a wild place. The Antarctic and Arctic are places few will ever travel to, however their importance on the world as we know it cannot be underestimated.
Join Matt Allen, guide and naturalist with One Ocean Expeditions, for an adventure across these frozen landscapes and tumultuous seas as he explores the many facets that make these environments so enthralling. From asking age-old historical questions about the early explorers to getting up close and personal with wildlife in a “Live from the Field episode”, Polar Tales provides an entertaining, educational insight into all things polar. Ever wondered how an expedition ship runs? We have that covered with exclusive staff chats. Perhaps your curiosity lies in natural history and climate science, politics or governance. All is laid bare in this world expert-led polar conversation. Follow Matt’s Polar Tales podcast series, hosted by One Ocean Expeditions.
NEW
Oceanites • Special Guest • Penguin scientists giving the inside scoop on penguin populations & how to count them
Shownotes
Alex Borowicz and Rachel Herman; two scientists from Stony Brook University NY, join me on the show to discuss the ins and outs of life as a penguin counter with nonprofit Oceanites. Sound glamorous? Wait till you hear Rachel’s story, the cute penguin who can do no wrong quickly becomes a thing of the past in this entertaining narrative. These two PhD scientists provide interesting insights into the future of penguin populations on the West Antarctic Peninsula, whilst giving the inside scoop on why we bother counting penguins and the lessons learnt so far!
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Dr. Harry Keyes • Staff • Glaciologist and iceberg fanatic
Shownotes
Dr. Harry Keys, a glaciologist who’s devoted many years of his career to studying the frozen continent of Antarctica. In this conversation, we debunk and dispel many ice myths and misconceptions about both the Antarctic and Arctic ice scenes. We also chat icebergs and what lays beneath the ice sheets of Antarctica! Volcanology is also up for discussion as well as an incredible story about Mt. Erebus and magma bombs!
Kaylan Worsnop • Staff • An expedition leader’s inside secrets to running a slick operation
Shownotes
Kaylan Worsnop, a charismatic, confident and personable expedition leader for One Ocean Expeditions. We get down to business and discuss what goes into trip planning, day by day scheduling and how to manage a team of 20 eclectic guides to deliver a sensational expedition. Kaylan’s diverse background holds many secrets as to how she runs such a smooth and professional operation.
Live from the Field • Zodiac Cruise • Mini Series • Epic whale encounters from the waters of Wilhelmina Bay
Shownotes
Join Matt on a zodiac cruise of Foyn Harbour where whales, Antarctic shags and shipwrecks are on the agenda! Mentions of Austin Powers, blows to the face and repeated use of the word groovy are all part of the parcel, as Matt explores one of his favourite bays with guests. Matt flicks back and forth from studio to field, interspersing lively commentary with well-grounded biology and fun facts! Enjoy!
Chris Johnson • Special Guest • Senior manager for WWF’s Antarctic program
Shownotes
Chris Johnson is the senior manager for WWF’s Antarctic program. Chris has had a career fueled with travel, adventure and conservation, his latest work brings him onboard where we are celebrating WWF Australia’s 40th birthday. In this episode, we delve into the world of fisheries and look at the value of marine protected areas (MPAs) and the future for conservation science that WWF are supporting down here.
Learn more at www.wwf.org.au/antarctica you can also follow the WWF blog www.antarctica.panda.org. For the latest keep an eye of their twitter @wwf_antarctica
Dr. John Dudeney • Staff • Politics & Governance of Antarctica including epic stories!
Shownotes
Dr. John Dudeney a polar legend in his own right and resident historian with One Ocean Expeditions. John’s incredible career has offered him many opportunities that few of us will ever get to experience. Whether it’s commanding an Antarctica station at age 23 to being involved in political discussions as part of the British delegation to the Antarctic treaty, to crashing airplanes into icebergs this man has seen it all. The Dude deserves to be in the history books for his endeavors, a rockstar of the Antarctic world. Tune in to learn more about Antarctic politics, governance and what it’s like to spend long winter nights down in the forgotten South.
A link to Johns fascinating account of William Speirs Bruce: Forgotten Polar Hero book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/William-Speirs-Bruce-Forgotten-Polar/dp/1445680815
Dr. Fred Sharpe • Special guest • Humpback whale acoustic and feeding biology
Shownotes
Dr. Fred Sharpe, an acoustic legend, a man with recordings that would make even the biggest record label jealous. He has explored many facets of whale life over the past 30 years. Fred’s most notable work has focused on their acoustic biology, specializing on the S.E Alaskan population of bubble net feeding Humpback whales. Fred’s work has given incredible insight into their complex feeding and social worlds. Just what are they saying? Listen in to find out more! All vocalisations played are permitted NMFS 14599
For more information about our Marine Mammal voyages, click here.
Tim Jarvis AM • Special guest • Explorer, scientist and Shackleton journey recreator
Shownotes
Tim Jarvis AM is a world-renowned explorer, public speaker, author and scientist. Tim has achieved an incredible amount over his career, with 25 expeditions in the bag and 2 epic recreations safely accomplished. Stories, life lessons and lateral thinking solutions are all on the agenda for this episode. In principal focus for this conversation is Tim’s recreation of Ernest Shackleton’s 1916 epic survival journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia. We discuss the renaissance of Shackletonian leadership ideals as well as Tim’s latest project, 25Zero.
Learn more about Tim and his work at https://www.timjarvis.org and https://www.25zero.com
For more information about our South Georgia voyages, click here.
Dr. Yulia Ivashchenko • Special guest • Illegal whaling detective extraordinaire
Shownotes
Dr. Yulia Ivashchenko is a world leader in cetacean biology, her work has focused on their merciless persecution in centuries gone by. Not all was as it seemed when Yulia first started looking through records of whaling by the Soviets in the 20th century. Through careful examination of artefacts long thought lost, Yulia uncovered a dark and illegal side to the Soviet whaling operation. Tune in to hear about her discoveries and the implications for current day whale abundance and distribution assessments. Papers mentioned on Japanese whaling size data incongruences are below!
For more information about our Marine Mammal voyages, click here.
Dr. Sandra Magnus • Guest • Astronaut and space traveler offering unique perspectives of Antarctica!
Shownotes
Dr. Sandra Magnus has been in the space industry for the past 22 years, 16 years of which were for NASA. Sandra has had perspectives all of us earthlings have dreamed of, the view of Earth from 400km away onboard the International Space Station. Dr. Magnus, a guest onboard with OOE, joins me for a chat where we bypass the everyday astronaut questions and delve straight into the similarities between space and the Antarctic.
Follow Sandra’s blog at https://astropv.com
For more information on our Antarctic voyages, click here.
Live from the Field- beach landing • Mini series • Incredible sunrise and wildlife encounters in South Georgia
Shownotes
Join Matt on the beach of Gold Harbour where the South Georgian cast of king penguins, elephant seals and skua’s provide an entertaining sunrise scene depicted in a way only Matt knows how. Matt flicks back and forth from studio to field, Interspersing lively commentary with well-grounded biology and fun facts! Enjoy!
For more information about our South Georgia voyages, click here.
Dr. Tim Flannery • Special guest • Climate change: Antarctic impact and solutions
Shownotes
Dr. Tim Flannery, an academic legend, internationally acclaimed author and an all-round nice guy. He is considered to be one of the world’s pre-eminent experts on climate change and has been described by Sir David Attenborough as “in the league of the all-time great explorers like Dr David Livingstone”. A leader in many fields of science, Tim now turns his attention on climate solutions both from a technological and human behavioural standpoint. We discuss what needs to be done and how to achieve it.
For more information on our Antarctic voyages, click here.
