A day in the life of... TIM SOPER
CO FOUNDER EYOS EXPEDITIONS
T
im was raised on the Devon coast of Southwest England. Growing up constantly in and around boats, he developed a passion for the sea that led him to study at the University of Wales’ marine laboratories on the Isle of Anglesey, where he combined oceanography and marine biology to earn an honors degree in Ocean Sciences. Since joining his first expedition ship in 1994, he has spent over two decades immersed in the expedition travel business. Working year-round as Expedition Leader, diver, boatman and guide, he makes seasonal migrations between the Polar Regions and tropics, gaining intimate knowledge of multitudes of cruising destinations. As well as scores of voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula region, Tim has led helicopter-equipped icebreaker expeditions deep into the Ross Sea & Weddell Sea. He has completely circumnavigated the Antarctic continent, venturing to the far side of East Antarctica, and the seldomvisited Phantom Coast. Along with leading frequent expeditions to Norway’s Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Tim has transited the NorthEast passage. He has led expeditions to the Canadian Arctic, Labrador and Greenland, as well as sub-Arctic Greenland, Canada, Norway, and Islands of the North Atlantic and Russian Far East.
126 | SPRING 2021 | ONBOARD
THE DAY BEGINS BUT CAN CHANGE COURSE My days start differently now, with a morning run combined with dropping our two children at preschool, before returning home to deal with the mountain of e-mails that have come in overnight. Although the pandemicinduced time with my family has been wonderful, I do miss my old routine at sea; waking early, a quick glance outside through the porthole to check the weather and at the monitor to check our position, before running through the shower while thinking about the options for the day and up to the bridge (where there is always good coffee!) to start planning where we will go and what we will do. Early morning is one of my favourite times on expedition, all is quiet on board with most still sleeping and it’s often just me and the watchkeepers up on the bridge. Looking at the weather, checking the AIS for any other vessels in the area, analysing the latest ice charts as we approach a distant coast is amazing – a world of opportunity lies ahead, fjords surrounded by towering mountains and inviting bays, full of different options for landings to explore. Plans evolve quickly at this time, with the anchorage chosen based on the conditions
