A21 History: Our First 10 Years

In 2023 Antarctica21 celebrates its 20th Anniversary. During our company’s 20th anniversary year, we want to celebrate our history with a review of the important milestones that have defined our journey. This is one of the notable moments in the company’s history. You can read more stories here.

Written by Jorge Jordan, founding partner and Vice President of the Board of Directors of Antarctica21

It is important for every organization to celebrate its history, successes, achievements, and the impact made on their industry and communities. Celebrations not only add fun to the job but also build connections and help create shared memories and a shared culture. They are also a way to show gratitude and recognition, appreciating the team’s hard work and dedication.

Since we started operation in 2003, we have inaugurated each Antarctic season with a barbecue dinner in Punta Arenas. In attendance are the expedition teams on their way to Antarctica and several members of our Punta Arenas office. Those annual events have become a wonderful tradition for us. My business partner, friend, and Antarctica21 President Jaime Vasquez mans the grill and cooks a traditional Patagonian asado for the team, pairing it with a selection of Chile’s best wines.

For our 10th anniversary, we upped the ante and brought together a larger team in the Jose Nogueira Hotel for a formal evening. We acknowledged the contribution of several key team members and institutionalized a reward that recognizes ten years of service with the company. Since then, that reward has been a yearly tradition presented to several team members who have made a long-term commitment to our project with their time, talents, and dedication. With much gratitude, we recognize their loyalty to our company.

Another initiative we undertook for our 10th anniversary was publishing a commemorative book. Led by Diana Galimberti, Executive Vice President of Product and Operations, it was an informative book about Antarctica’s ecology, geography, and wildlife. It also recorded the details of each of our first ten expedition seasons, featuring the ships and aircraft used, and outlining the teams that made it all possible.

Sharp Peak had been a point of reference for our company for ten years, and to celebrate our 10th anniversary, we undertook an expedition to climb the mountain. Located on Livingston Island, Sharp Peak is the iconic mountain featured in our original logo. The dream of climbing the peak that guided us and provided so much inspiration was finally fulfilled when we sponsored a team of professional mountain climbers. Gabriel Becker, Gonzalo Llull, and Nicolas Danyau reached the summit on February 3, 2013, where they flew the Company’s flag, celebrating our pioneering spirit and history.

2013 saw some additional developments at Antarctica21. For the first time, we made kayaking and snowshoeing available to our Antarctic guests as optional excursions, increasing their options for adventure activities during our trips. We also made a significant investment by implementing a new web-based reservation system, which has kept serving to this day.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, Antarctica21 offers its guests an ever-broader range of voyages and departures. This success can be attributed to a highly skilled and dedicated team of professionals, top-of-the-line equipment, and a distinctive approach that has established us globally as the foremost operator of Antarctic air-cruises. We take great pride in this accomplishment and thank everyone involved, from our dearest guests to our extensive team and agent partners worldwide. The spirit of innovation that guided us through two decades of unwavering effort is as strong as ever. We remain committed to investing in Antarctica21 and creating superior Antarctic travel experiences for our guests.