Influencers Are DESTROYING Antarctica

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]How much does it cost to visit Antarctica?

[00:00:02]>> How much does it cost to visit Antarctica?

[00:00:04]>> This is the number one question.

[00:00:05]>> The most common question, the most asked question about our trip is definitely a bucket list. Once in a lifetime.

[00:00:10]>> Once in a lifetime.

[00:00:11]>> Once in a lifetime trip.

[00:00:12]>> Oh, it's not exactly cheap.

[00:00:14]>> Said be cheap.

[00:00:14]>> It's not cheap.

[00:00:15]>> Prices start at $8,000, >> $9,000, $14,000, >> $15,000 per person, >> not including flights. Antarctica, one of the most beautiful and remote places on Earth, untouched by pollution, profit, or influencers, is now being destroyed by pollution, profit, and influencers. You see, up until recently, you could only go to Antarctica if you were a scientist studying like penguins or something. But now, Antarctica is becoming a popular tourist destination with people paying up to $12,000 just to get there. And I feel like at some point we should probably ask, is going to one of the most protected places on Earth just to take a few selfies such a good idea?

[00:00:54]The past few months, multiple Tik Toks have gone viral of influencers casually taking a cruise down to one of the hardest places in the world to get to, Antarctica. And somehow in a place that remote, they all made the same video.

[00:01:06]They're all just moving their bed outside. Like that's a normal thing to do in a subzero climate. But before we keep going, I want to say thank you to today's sponsor, Babel. This might be a weird time to admit this, but you met me at a very espanol time in my life. I've actually attempted to learn Spanish multiple times and failed every single time, which is tragic because I've always wanted to go to Mexico and be one of those people who shocks the locals with her very good Spanish. I just wanted strangers to be proud of me like my parents never were, which is where Babel comes in. Babel is one of the top language learning apps in the world, and it actually feels structured, like you're building towards something instead of just guessing and race quitting two days later. I started using it because I didn't want to be that person just pointing at things and hoping for the best. You see, Babel actually teaches you how to have real conversations in just 10 to 15 minute lessons like introducing yourself, asking questions or how to complain and step by step, little by little, every day, I'm actually doing something useful on my phone, like learning a language 630 million people speak instead of just the usual mindless doom scrolling. So, if you've ever wanted to learn a new language, now is actually a really good time to start because you can get up to 55% off your subscription by clicking the link in my description or scanning the QR code. Let me know which language you would like to learn on Babel and why in the comments below.

[00:02:27]Once again, you can now get up to 55% off by clicking the link in my description or scanning the QR code.

[00:02:33]Muchos gracias to Babel for sponsoring today's video. Now, let's get back to it. Now, I'm not really a cruise person myself, mostly because I get seasick very easily and also because I'm not 85 years old. But apparently, this is a whole trend where people move their beds outside on the balcony.

[00:02:48]>> Next time you go on a cruise, put your bed on the balcony. You won't regret it.

[00:02:53]Trust me.

[00:02:53]>> Which is fine if you're going to like Bora Bora or something. But to get to Antarctica, you have to cross the Drake Passage.

[00:03:00]>> Is crossing the Drake Passage really worth it to get to Antarctica? They say you have to earn your trip to Antarctica because before you can get there, you have to cross the infamous Drake Passage. Now, Drake's Passage sounds like a Drake comeback nobody asked for, but it's not. It's actually somehow worse. It's a stretch of ocean where three different oceans meet that you have to cross to get to Antarctica. And that means 2 days straight of insanely rough seas, violent winds, and waves up to 40 ft high. It's one of the most turbulent routes a cruise ship can take.

[00:03:27]And that's what you have to endure before you even get to the coldest place on Earth. Just how bad is the Drake passage? WELL, >> YEAH. I don't know. I feel like Drake doesn't want you passing through this.

[00:03:43]It's giving less relaxing vacation and more like natural disaster you voluntarily paid for. Oh, yeah. And to make things even more reassuring, in 2022, a rogue wave hit a cruise ship called Viking Polaris, smashing windows, flooding cabins, and throwing passengers across the ship. and one woman was killed while four others were injured.

[00:04:02]Now, of course, that is a freak incident and is rare. And the passage can be calm if you get lucky. But for most people, you're dealing with violent seas and it's a lot less of this and a lot more of the ship going into lockdown, common area shut down, and you're restricted to your room. And if you're lucky, you could come out for some food if you can hold it down.

[00:04:21]>> Me excited about my holiday in Antarctica. The Drake's Passage.

[00:04:27]What's interesting is when you watch videos influencers post to promote this once-ina-lifetime trip, a lot of them don't even mention Drake Passage at all.

[00:04:34]And I've seen so many firsthand accounts of people genuinely shocked that they have to put on life vests and sit through a storm just to get there.

[00:04:42]>> I've never been on a boat before and I decided my first boat trip was going to be to Antarctica on the Drake Passage.

[00:04:49]>> Never been on a boat before. Oh my god, that's like learning how to drive for the first time on the highway in the rain at night.

[00:04:57]>> And I I'm on the boat now and I just learned about what the Drake passage is.

[00:05:02]And life jackets, they are real. And life jacket reals are also real.

[00:05:07]>> Yeah. Yeah. Life jackets are real. Just like the ocean is real. That's kind of like the whole thing of being on a boat.

[00:05:14]Crazy, right?

[00:05:15]>> You know, like you see things in the movies and you don't know.

[00:05:18]>> There's an announcement. Oh my god.

[00:05:20]>> Yeah. I mean, just cuz you see something in the movies, like, doesn't mean that they could happen, right? Like the Titanic that didn't happen. That was just a fun little madeup story about a completely fictional cruise ship that definitely didn't hit an iceberg and definitely didn't sink and definitely didn't have like a very well doumented historical disaster attached to it.

[00:05:43]Now, past the torture that is Drake's Passage, you finally get to beautiful Antarctica. And this is where the fun begins. Right now, one of the first really cool things that you can do when you get to Antarctica is a polar plunge, which is a fancy way of saying, "Hey, do you want to jump into freezing water for no reason?" Well, actually, sorry, it's for Tik Tok. So, we were relaxing in our warm, comfortable room, and there was an announcement if anyone wants to come and do the polar plunge. So, step one, we had to sign a waiver that meant if anything happened to us when we jumped in the water, they weren't responsible.

[00:06:13]Obviously, we signed it straight away.

[00:06:14]Obviously, nothing makes me feel safer than signing a waiver that says, "Hey, if you get dragged underwater by a leopard seal, that's on you." Uh, which, uh, just like the Titanic, definitely has never happened before. We went down to the big open door, took off our warm robes, took off my slippers, and they put this belt around your waist so that in case you jump and something happens, they can pull you back in. After thinking about the killer whales in Antarctica, I asked them if it's all good to jump. They said, "Yes, go for it." And I jumped. The water was so cold, and I've never been this scared to jump into water ever. Then when my head popped up, I was like, "Oh, that's not that bad." And I tried to speak and I couldn't. I was just like, "Listen, I'm white." But I'm not this white, okay?

[00:06:54]Because when did jumping into freezing water become fun? Okay. Like, like, why are we not jumping into a hot tub with hot chocolate? Oh, yeah. That's right.

[00:07:02]Because it won't get any views. Because just like the bed on the balcony, it seemed like every influencer did the polar plunge just for the video. I mean, it's one of those moments you're expected to film and post online.

[00:07:12]Otherwise, have you even gone to Antarctica? And these cruise ships manufacture experiences that you too can film and post online. For example, another really, really fun thing that you can do for Tik Tok views is camp in Antarctica. Now, when you picture camping in Antarctica on a luxury cruise you probably spent $12,000 on, you probably think it looks like this.

[00:07:32]sleeping in one of those fancy glass tents under thick blankets, fireplace going on the side, and waking up to this insane view while still being comfortable. It's camping, but you're warm, alive, and not immediately regretting your decision. Well, not exactly. Imagine this. You step off the cruise ship into one of those tiny zodiac boats and suddenly it's you bouncing across the freezing water, icy wind kissing your face, and finally when you reach the shore, you climb out into the snow, look around at this massive untouched landscape, and you're thinking, "Wow, this is going to be the greatest experience of my life." And the first thing they do is hand you a shovel. We were to use the shovel to dig a kneedeep hole to sleep in to block the wind. We dug our own little conjoined snow suite that took us about 30 minutes. Well, let's be honest. Garrett was the one doing all the work.

[00:08:20]>> Conjoined snow suite. Is that what you're calling a snow grave?

[00:08:25]>> We dug our own little conjoined snow suite.

[00:08:27]>> So, now that you're done digging yourself and your partner a nice little grave in the snow for half an hour, by the way, then they hand you a sleeping bag and a little mat. And that's it.

[00:08:35]There you go. Your luxury camping experience is ready. The only gear we had was a sleeping bag, mat, and waterproof cover. And here I am putting everything together and also starting to question what the heck I was doing. And then you just get to lie down in that little hole in your sleeping bag, fully closed, just, you know, committing to the experience. And you're all wrapped up nice and tight like a little frozen burrito, ready for a polar bear to just come and swipe you up. Just kidding.

[00:08:59]There's no polar bears in Antarctica.

[00:09:01]But there is something way more dangerous, and that is my weak bladder.

[00:09:05]>> Peing in a bucket on Antarctica wasn't exactly on my bingo card this year, but here we are. Yeah, watching someone pee in a bucket in Antarctica wasn't exactly on my bingo card either, but here we are. If you had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, the guides dug a pretty deep hole in the snow with this bucket with a little toilet seat on top of it. To be honest, for being just a bucket in the snow, the bathroom setup was pretty solid with a little shelf with toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

[00:09:31]Yeah. Yeah, the setup was super solid for a hole with a bucket. However, I must be some kind of polar Dr. do little or something because every time I tried to use it, an animal would pop out of nowhere like this snowy sheath bill and then even this seal that basically came right up to us a pea bucket. Have you guys like never been camping before?

[00:09:54]Never had to use a poop bucket because when I was in high school, I had a campmate use a poop bucket in the middle of the night and mids squat get picked by a kangaroo with her pants down. Poop was everywhere. And there was one angry kangaroo, which was obviously very traumatic for them, but at least it happened in, you know, the dark. In Antarctica during the summer, the sun doesn't fully set, so something goes wrong. There's no darkness to shield your embarrassment. It's just you and the bucky in the 24-hour natural lighting. And apparently a camera and a tripod filming the whole thing. We tried our best to go to sleep, but the sun never sets in Antarctica this time of year, so it wasn't exactly the easiest.

[00:10:33]Still, it was so magical falling asleep listening to the sounds of Antarctica all around us. We woke up pretty early the next morning to head back to the ship for a much needed nap after our night on the ice. Yeah, I don't know. I feel like trying to sleep in broad daylight in a snow grave isn't really my type of fun, but it is beautiful. Like the landscapes, the cute animals. I'm just a little bit jealous and bitter. I don't get to experience this myself. But unfortunately, just like the Drake Passage, a peaceful camping trip is still kind of a gamble. about to go ice camping in Antarctica. Weather was looking good until a blizzard with 40 mph winds hit for 3 to 4 hours. I say this with all the kindness in my heart, but why do this?

[00:11:18]Literally, why? You paid money to do this? Yes, Lindsay. Unfortunately, they did pay about $500 extra for the privilege of doing that on top of the $12,000 just to get on the cruise. And that's kind of the thing with this trip.

[00:11:34]It's not really about comfort or even enjoyment. It's about how it looks because if something looks rare or cool enough, people will still do it just to say that they did it. Kind of like ice scuba diving, submarining, or kayaking.

[00:11:46]>> This is what it's like to kayak in Antarctica. Right when we were launching our kayaks from the ship, we saw some movement in the water. Turns out it was a mother and baby humpback whale. So, needless to say, we were so excited to start paddling. Right when we got in, there was ice everywhere. And you have to be careful because you can run into icebergs at any time, which can make you tip over.

[00:12:06]>> Yeah. I don't know. Tipping over in below freezing water in full clothing uh sounds absolutely terrifying. Once in a lifetime trip, more like the last trip you'll take in your lifetime. Am I right? got back to our paddling and saw this perfect iceberg with snow on top of it. So, naturally, we decided to eat some. Since there is no pollution at all down here, this is the most fresh and clean snow you can get. It tasted absolutely fantastic.

[00:12:32]>> Man, I am so glad the cleanest snow on Earth is being preserved so influencers can lick it for content. Nature is healing.

[00:12:40]>> When you go to Antarctica, you got to lick the ice. Oh my god.

[00:12:45]>> No, no, you don't have to. That's That's not a requirement. It's not part of the package. You do not have to lick the ice.

[00:12:54]>> It's Oh, it is salty. Oh my god. Oh yeah. What? Yeah, of course it's salty.

[00:13:03]It's the ocean. I'm really glad that these influencers are taking these trips to Antarctica to really discover things that have never been discovered before.

[00:13:11]Like the fact that life jackets are real.

[00:13:13]>> And life jackets, they are real. and that the ocean is salty.

[00:13:18]>> Oh, it is salty.

[00:13:19]>> And all of these experiences, you know, the polar plunge, the kayaking, the camping, the diving, the submarines, all of it is sold as proof that you did something most people never will because Antarctica is this rare once in a-lifetime experience, right? We just did something that only 0.00003% of the world's population gets to do.

[00:13:39]>> Antarctica is one of the last truly untouched places on the planet. That's why less than 1% will ever go there. And yeah, those stats sound impressive until you realize that 118,000 people visited Antarctica in the 2024 to 25 season. So, it's not as rare as people might make it seem. If anything, the number is growing fast. For contrast, by the way, 10 years earlier, it was around 36,000 tourists.

[00:14:03]But now there are over 50 companies operating Antarctic cruise ships, including somehow a swinger cruise with 130 couples that cost a minimum of $24,000.

[00:14:15]Guys, come on. Really? You couldn't keep it in your pants from Mumble? And experts are warning that if tourism keeps growing at this rate, Antarctic visitor numbers could reach almost half a million by 2033. Almost half a million people visiting one of the most protected, remote and fragile places on earth. And somehow they are still calling it an exclusive experience. You know what's actually exclusive? Turk menistan. They get around 10,000 tourists a year. Now that is exclusive, okay? And it probably costs way less than going to Antarctica. But influencers aren't being paid to promote Turk Menistan. One of the reasons why you're probably seeing a ton of posts from the Dre Passage in Antarctica is because for the first time in history, Antarctica tour companies are targeting people like me, travel influencers who host group trips, to do group trips in Antarctica. This comes as a shock to me because 3 years ago, they told me they didn't want to work with me because their demographic was older, mostly male, and retired couples. So, now that we have all of our guests coming, we have lowered the age demographic down, and I have now hosted over 100, mostly women in Antarctica, who all have social media, which is why you're probably seeing it all over your feet. And for the first time, tour companies are actively targeting influencers with younger audiences, people with followings, people who can turn the trip into content. And they're not just getting paid to promote the place. They are making big money from commission signups. I just got paid $45,000 to go to Antarctica. In short, I was offered commission for anyone who got to sign up. And I booked 64 people. And at that point, you kind of have to ask, how much of this is actually about the experience? And how much of it is actually about getting you to book it?

[00:15:47]How much does it cost to visit Antarctica? That's the million-dollar question everyone keeps asking. And luckily, the answer is not a million dollars. So, let me break down the actual price and everything that's included. Now, keep in mind that you are traveling to one of the most remote, untouched locations on Earth, but I'll stop stalling and tell you the price.

[00:16:06]These Antarctica cruises start at $12,000 per person, not including flights. Your final price will vary depending on the type of cabin you book, the length of the cruise, the dates, and if you choose to fly to Antarctica or sail there. It's definitely not a budget trip, but it is absolutely worth a splurge for this experience of a lifetime. I feel so dystopian to say Antarctica is one of the last truly untouched places on Earth while also encouraging thousands of people to go and touch it. It's like saying, "Hey guys, these are the last strawberries left on planet Earth. There are only 500 of them left. They're extremely fragile.

[00:16:42]We may never get to see them again. And you can now buy them for 15% off because what the influencers don't show you is what it actually costs to go there. And I don't mean the 12,000 or the 24,000 if you're a freak. I mean the actual cost.

[00:16:57]A study published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism found that trips to Antarctica are some of the most carbonintensive trips you can take. In one tourist season, these trips generated around 674,000 tons of carbon emission. And for each traveler, that equates to an average of 6.41 tons. For reference, that is roughly the same amount of carbon an average European produces in an entire year. And that's for one trip. So when someone says it's a once- ina-lifetime experience, that one experience can equal to someone's entire yearly footprint. There's also something called black carbon, which is basically soot from ship engines. And when that lands on the snow, it makes it absorb more heat, which speeds up melting. One study found that each tourist contributes to melting around 83 tons of snow, which again might not sound like much until you realize that's roughly the weight of the largest dinosaur that we know of, the Argentinosaurus, or the second biggest animal alive today, the fin whale. And that's again per person. This is what the world looks like when we leave it alone. Yeah. No, I'm pretty sure the penguins, the whales, the seals, they can all see you. By the way, I wouldn't completely say that they are being left alone because from their perspective, they're seeing humans climbing onto their little boats, getting on their islands, creating noise pollution, and masses of people trying to get as close to them as they can, taking photos. I mean, they can't even enjoy their cool little hangout spot anymore because somewhere in the background, Karen is peeing in a bucket.

[00:18:22]I know that I'm joking, but wildlife disturbance is a real issue. And in these travel videos, it's not even shown because penguins don't like people.

[00:18:31]There's a reason why they live in one of the most isolated places on Earth. Who knew penguins were so polite?

[00:18:49]Uh, I promise you if that penguin could talk, uh, he would, uh, not be so polite.

[00:18:54]>> I'M WALKING HERE. I'M WALKING HERE.

[00:18:57]>> UP YOUR SHOES, SON OF A DON'T TALK to me that way. Get out of here.

[00:19:03]>> A recent study published by NC State found that common tourism activities and behaviors could be disturbing chinstrap and gen 2 penguins on one of the continent's most visited islands.

[00:19:13]Chinstrap penguins can become defensive rather quickly when humans approach their nesting sites, at least more so than Gen 2 penguins. But really, both species are sensitive to some level of human presence. While tourists typically only spend a few hours on land, their presence could cause adult penguins to become scared and distracted and sometimes even temporarily disturb their chicks or eggs, leaving them vulnerable to exposure or predation. It can be exhausting for these penguins when tourists are standing around their nesting sites for several hours a day.

[00:19:40]It can also be very distracting and their populations are already under pressure because of climate change. So now you're adding another layer of stress on top of that because to us it's just a quick stop on a cruise, but to them it's their entire habitat. Now, of course, nobody's going to Antarctica thinking, "I want to stress out penguins today." But when thousands of people are doing the same thing, even small disruptions, stop being small. I'M >> WALKING HERE. I'M WALKING HERE.

[00:20:05]>> And you know how I mentioned that Antarctica's ecosystem is super fragile?

[00:20:08]Well, that means that these ships are required to do strict biocurity. So, for example, all tourists are supposed to disinfect their boots, clean their gear, and basically make sure that they don't bring anything in from the outside onto Antarctica. But unfortunately, it hasn't been working because for the first time in history, bird flu has actually been detected in the sub Antarctic islands.

[00:20:28]It's killing seals, and scientists say it's only a matter of time before it reaches Antarctica. And then on top of that, you've got people completely ignoring rules, getting too close to wildlife, and treating it like a photo op. There was even a case of someone graffiting a historic structure, which is insane. You're literally defacing one of the most protected places on Earth.

[00:20:47]And not even with good graffiti. And look, I'm not saying no one should ever travel anywhere beautiful, but if you actually want to travel ethically, go somewhere that wants tourists, where you know your money actually helps the economy instead of putting pressure on a fragile ecosystem. Countries like Jamaica, Vietnam, Albania, Taiwan, Mexico, Morocco, Serbia, places where tourism creates jobs and supports communities. But if you want, of course, that remote, icy, once in a-lifetime feeling, you don't need to go to Antarctica. Go to Greenland. It has the same incredible landscapes, the same wildlife, and it's actually prepared for tourism and wants people to come. And you can actually stay in real cabins and see the northern lights instead of digging a hole in the snow and peeing in a bucket. And most importantly, you're not contributing to the slow destruction of one of the most fragile and beautiful places on Earth just for the content.

[00:21:39]Anyway, you should join my fast growing Discord if you want to hang out or suggest some videos. Subscribe if you like this one and go watch some more because they're pretty good if you ask me. Anyway, I love you.