ANTARCTICA 4K | South Pole & Emperor Penguins

Foreign [Music] Thank you Hello everybody my name is Andrew McDonald and I'm a photographer and Videographer and all around content Creator from Scotland I specialize in all things Wildlife Landscape and Adventure so when the team Behind the luxury travel expert invited Me to be part of their first ever Collaboration I was thrilled I hope you enjoy this video as we take You to both the South Pole and the Emperor penguin colonies it's a really Good one so please sit back relax and Let's go to Antarctica Good morning everybody and welcome back To a very bright Antarctica Um I've still got no idea how this sun Has managed to go across here when it Was here so it must have come across I Don't know what the sun does here I've Got no idea what the sun does here I'm Not sure if you can see on the camera But it's got this permanent Crystal Hill Around the Sun since we got here it's so Nice let me try and show you now does That even show up on the camera Probably not I don't think it shows up In the camera but I will show you a Couple of photographs to show you what I Mean So we are up it's about seven o'clock in

The morning and now I've had some Breakfast and some coffee and it's time To get ready for the first flight Towards the South Pole which is going to Be a five hour flight in one of these Smaller planes I forget the name of it A five hour flight down to 83 degrees South a quick refuel and then a two hour Flight to the South Pole it's going to Be a very tiring very long very Exhausting day and on top of that I'm Trying to capture it all in photograph And video so wish me luck and let's go Foreign [Music] Trip in the 4×4 vehicle across the plane Here behind me which I think is called a Bassler So this is a plane that we're going to Be taking to the South Pole we're going To do five hours we're going to refuel And then two hours to the South Pole So let's get this party started and get On the plane [Music] Thank you After leaving Wars Fang and heading South for a first 30 minutes or so you Skim over mountain tops and then it Really is hour upon hour of vast open Ice as far as I can see [Music] Well we have now arrived at 83 degrees South to Dixie's Camp which is just

Behind me behind the plane over here We're going to be here for about 40 Minutes before we then head on to the Next stage which is about a two and a Half hour flight to the South Pole the Temperature here is considerably colder Than when we were back at Watertown camp This is about minus 20 at the moment so It's probably the coldest temperatures I've ever experienced But you're What a Wilderness this is oh So cold so this is where we'll be Staying this evening after we return From the South Pole and that's one of The things I've just been thinking about Now is but I'm just having to remind Myself about three hours time I'm gonna Be at possibly the most remote place on Earth The South Pole I never ever thought I Would ever go to the South Pole and here I am on a journey with my camera taking Me to the very most southern point on Earth And I'm still just trying to get my head Around that fact It's a it's a pretty special feeling Actually Wow this is just insane It wasn't long before we were back in The air and admiring the vastness of Antarctica on our last leg south soon if We went any further we'll be heading

North which is a kind of strange thing To get your head around After landing we layered up and got Ready to embrace the elements [Music] After a quick briefing from our guide Alesh we headed over to the ceremonial South Pole which displays the flags of The nations in the Antarctic treaty I was also sure to grab both important Shots of the clients and the staff at This unique location [Music] Ladies and gentlemen I am officially at The geographic So full [Music] How did it feel to stand here in short It was fantastic but at the same time I Felt like a fraud compared to the Explorers who had come before me Having said that every journey is Personal the South Pole had always felt So unattainable that it was never even On my bucket lists but as I stood here I Felt proud I had taken a gamble over Years ago you got to make my dreams come True there had been many highs and lows Many doubts so yeah I did feel proud Everyone's Journey was different and This was mine but the South Pole isn't My end destination I don't have one so Let's go onwards to the next adventure The guests are just behind me of the

Geographical Southport a moment It's about minus 32 degrees apparently Doesn't feel too bad right now but as Soon as it explores skin you can feel it To Stone to nip with the frost we're Probably going to be here for around Another hour or so depending on how cold People get Behind me on this side is the scientific Base all my gear is freezing up the zoom On the camera hardly even twists around My batteries are dying super super fast But yeah I am standing at the South Pole Absolute Magic [Music] Well that's us now successfully back to Dixie's Camp it's about minus 22 heading To the tent now to dump my stuff it is About 10 o'clock in the evening Despite the sunshine it's 10 o'clock in The evening Um it's going to be pretty chilly in the Tent but we've got nice warm sleeping Bags We'll get a few hours sleep here and Then we'll wake up and head back to Wolf's fang tomorrow morning and then on To which two week camp So I'm gonna try and get some sleep and Puppy check you guys in the morning not Much battery left on any of my cameras So I'm very much looking forward to Recharging all the gear Okay it's time to try and get some sleep

And yes that is snow right next to me That is Frost On the tent But hopefully this sleeping bag is Gonna Keep Me nice and warm Good night Oh good morning everybody Managed to get a few minutes sleep last Night I'm sure Um waking up feeling pretty tired but Not too bad at all and now it's time to Get onto the plane it's around about uh Maybe half past seven in the morning Here now Time to jump on the plane and head back To Wars fan Camp uh I'm not sure where We're gonna pick up the Vlog next but I Don't think I'm gonna document too much Of flight if we've already got lots of That material going on Board on the face so yeah we'll pick up This so yeah we'll pick up a vlog Somewhere A little bit further north from here It's a fresh morning Well after the five hour flight North we Arrive back at rosefang and the Temperatures here were a little bit more Bearable uh here we are on the back of a Skadoo this making our way from the Skiway back into words camp and after Getting in settling into my room having Some dinner I noticed some beautiful Golden light outside so I headed out to Grab a few shots

So the Golden Light actually lasts for Quite a few hours here but what I wanted To grab was those amazing cloud Formations I set up my camera found some Compositions and here's what I captured [Music] Wow that's bright it's now probably Whoosh I don't know around 10 pm around 10 pm now and I think the plan for Tomorrow is to try and go and see the Penguins and we're leaving here at 10 am So potential for some decent night's Sleep here but I'm probably going to be Up and about during the night taking Some photos checking the light Gonna try and unload some memory cards Now but hopefully we'll be checking up With you tomorrow and the weather's Going to be good enough to go and see Some emperor penguins which as you can Imagine is going to be one of my Highlights of this whole Adventure so Check you guys on the other side Well good morning everybody and we are Good to go for the Penguins we are going To be leaving Wars fan Camp here in About another half an hour's time back Onto the Basler airplane for a two and a Half hour flight and then a short trip I Think maybe in the 4×4 or on some Skidoos to the penguin colony Hi I'm extremely excited to see these Emperor penguins apparently it's going

To be quite windy there so I'm not too Sure how easy it's going to be to shoot Video but I'll definitely be there to Grab some Stills and just enjoy the Whole experience So let's get back on the airplane and go And find some penguins you We've just landed here at AKA Bay which Is where the penguin colony is and now We're just waiting for a sled to come And collect us and then we're going to Take the sled to where the penguin Colonies It's almost time to photograph some Emperor penguins While we head towards the colony let me Give you a few quick facts about these Very interesting animals so emperor Penguins are the largest of the 18 Species of penguin found today and they Can reach up to 120 centimeters tall and Weigh up to 40 kilograms they're Uniquely adapted to survive in these Harsh conditions where temperatures can Drop down to a bone chilling minus 50 Degrees Celsius with 200 kilometer an Hour winds Because they stay here all year they Have to incubate their eggs during those Long dark winter months but luckily for Us it's now summer and there is no Darkness The penguin colonies are normally found A few kilometers away from the ocean and

That's to help keep away from predators Like leopard seals and orcas Able to hear version of a wind noise Super tricky to try and film anything Behind the scenes very difficult to do But I think I'm getting one or two shots Hopefully I'm going to be back here in The coming days so I can improve in the Shots but I think I've got one or two Really nice moments Well with the driving wind and blowing Snow I was actually really happy to be Able to capture these penguins in the Harsh environment that they live in and Here are some of my favorite shots [Music] [Music] [Music] Foreign [Music] And on that note it was time for us to Leave these emperor penguins in peace But as you can see from his photograph I Was extremely happy with how the day had Went We jump back onto the skadoo and it Wasn't long before we arrived back to The airplane and soon we were once again Soaring Over the Antarctic sea ice but All I could think about was when I was Coming back to photograph these penguins Wow [Music] Thank you

Well good morning everybody and welcome Back to another day in Antarctica today I'm particularly excited because we are Heading back to acabay to photograph the Penguins but I'm super Keen to get going It's half past eight in the morning now We've got a two and a half hour flight To get there so let's get the day Started let's go Okay we have now arrived at ARCA Bay the Clients have just taken the Skidoo Towards the Penguins now we'll wait here For about 30 minutes for this skadoo to Come back and then collect us Behind me here is the Basler I cannot wait to get back to this Penguin clinic and get some shots the Conditions are looking great it's Slightly overcast again there's some Dappled Sunshine hitting the icebergs in The distance so yeah I'm super Keen to Get there and get some more shots It's great to be back here Well we've now arrived at the penguin Colony as you can see there are Literally thousands of penguins around Me their guests our clients are over There having a good time I've come way Far away from McCormick I'm trying to Find individuals or at least a pair of Penguins and try and isolate them Against that huge iceberg in the Background using the telephoto lens uh I'm not so keen on photographing the

Groups of penguins I'm far more Interested in finding individual Subjects to pick out with dramatic Backdrops So I'm going to keep shooting it's not Very easy it's the same as last time It's not very easy to Vlog because I Can't really put stuff on the ground too Much So yeah Having an absolute blast here over some Nice Sunshine coming through now to give Me a bit of contrast on the images that I took last week [Music] [Music] [Music] The hardest part is one trying to see Your camera screen because it's so Bright today And two trying to figure out which Penguins and which piece of interaction To try and capture there's so much going On Um I'm trying to find some nice Interaction sort of between or maybe a Mother and a chick or two chicks but When there's so much going on you need To keep your eyes peeled and uh try and Grab the shots when you happen Better get back to it now [Music] [Music] [Music]

I've just taken a walk round to the Other side of a colony here To try and get some different Perspectives I'm still doing what most People are not doing Um I'm standing a lot further away from The colony now let me just interrupt Myself quickly to tell you a little bit About ayato and the regulations in force To make sure these awesome animals are Kept safe visitors to Aqua Beamers not Walk between the Penguins and the colony And they must also keep 30 meters Distance from large groups of penguins And remain 5 meters away from Individual Penguins these rules are in place Because the safety and well-being of These animals are of utmost importance Okay now let's get back to the adventure Still trying to isolate some birds Against the um icebergs now I can Actually see A bunch of penguins coming back in from The sea Which is far away I can't see The sea but I can see a bunch coming This way so maybe if I'm quick I can isolate a few of them against These icebergs [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Oh

[Music] We've now been with the penguin Colony For I don't know an hour and a half at least Uh it's now time to call it a day and Head back to the Basler and then fly Back to Wars fan camp It's once again been one of the most Incredible experiences of my life to Photograph these incredible animals I'll Say incredible a lot because it is Incredible Um So in two days time I fly back to Cape Town But I should hopefully get back to visit This colony and see how we're Progressing in early January so keep an Eye out for another Vlog coming from There Oh This has just been fantastic now it's Time sadly to head back to camp Let's go After a couple of weeks back in Civilization it wasn't long before I was Once again touching down at acabay we Jumped into the Piston bully and headed Towards the Penguins Yes we have arrived back here at Cabe uh Because as you can see behind me we have Many many many penguins all doing our Thing and as I mentioned I think in the Last Vlog from when I was here the

Chicks are now a little bit older and They've all started to molt quite a lot More over somewhere almost out of size There's still some very small ones Amongst there Um as always not a very easy place for Me to do vlogs I've got to really Appreciate the fact that I might never Be back here in my life there's no real Plan trip to come back to Antarctica Unless I'm invited back of course yeah We're here with a bunch of clients I'm Gonna make a very very most of the time Here before we head off Because like I said I might never be Back here in my life to see this Incredible site Such a special place okay let's grab Some more photographs oh yeah as always Not very easy for me to Vlog sort of try And just um do what I can while I'm here Check out these little ones here [Music] Foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] Well I truly was sad to be leaving these Emperor penguins behind but hopefully One day in the future I'll be back to See them again We arrived back at the airplane and what Was to follow was possibly one of the Most scenic flights imaginable as we

Cruised over the Antarctic ice shelf and Icebergs it really was an incredible way To end the day Well I hope that you enjoyed this Adventure and if you did please be sure To check out the links to my work which Will be in the video description it's Been a pleasure but for now I'll hand You back to the luxury travel expert Thanks again [Music] [Music] Thank you [Music]