LECTURE

CAPTAIN PETER SKOG

Professional seaman sailing since 1963. Born in Finland, he is truly an international man, fluent English, Spanish, German and Swedish.

Graduated from Nautical Academy in Malmo, Sweden. His first Antarctic experience dates back to 1974 when he sailed during the austral summer expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula. To date, he has more than 100 Antarctic ice voyages to his credit and is widely recognized as one of the most skilful ice pilots in the business.

Captain Skog has become a symbol of mankind’s compelling desire to know, feel and understand what lies beyond the next horizon. He exhibits an intellectual passion for expedition cruising that permits the human mind to go from Arctic to Antarctic waters and to all points between.

CAPTAIN MANUEL OVALLE

Former Captain of the Chilean navy, graduated from the Chilean Naval Academy, has served in the Navy for the past 30 years.
Has a number of sea voyages to his credit, which include the French Polynesia, the Pacific, the South and North Atlantic, and the Baltic. He possesses wide experience sailing the Chilean seas, particularly the Fjords and Cape Horn.
The expertise gained aboard Chilean navy vessels, along with his assets as a navy SEAL, have made him quite an expert of the austral weather conditions and waters. This combined with his capability of recognizing extreme situations and prompt decision making will certainly be an element of confidence to his crew and passengers.

LECTURERS

Roger Benedict, Geologist

He acquired his love of the outdoors from his father David, a legacy of their trips together skiing and hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. His work as a guide and naturalist is an extension of this early avocation. Roger began working in the expedition cruise industry in 2003, and has travelled to Alaska, New Zealand, Russia and the Aleutian Islands, and the Caribbean. Roger earned a degree in Geology from Humboldt State University in Arcata California.

John Arthur Harrison, Historian

Born in Liverpool, John is an award-winning travel writer and the author of more than six books, including Where the Earth Ends, A Journey Beyond Patagonia reflecting the extensively sailed experience in the Chilean Fjords, Falklands and southwards. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he has worked for twenty years on environmental matters in local government. He continually lectures at national and international conferences. Zodiac driver.

Julio Preller, Expedition Leader

This Chilean and British leader began his career twenty five years ago. Due to his experience, he is skilled in challenging situations with limited resources in remote locations giving us a plus over security measures. Fluent in Spanish and English speaking. His first voyage to Antarctic was in 1980 and since then, He has travelled extensivily around the world, and has specialized himself in Polar areas .

René Preller, Naturalist and Zodiac Driver

Three years of residence in Falkland Island and twenty six years of experience doing trips and excursions in Antarctic and the Islands give René a position in the history of the area. He has completed 150 voyages to Antarctic what give him a vast acknowledge about flora, fauna and history of the total area including South Georgia Islands and Chilean Fjords.
Experience zodiac driver and staff coordinator.