Sjon Johnson is a familiar and high-profile figure on Caledonian Star cruises to the Antarctic. Wearing the orange flat-coat of a staff member, carrying a video camera and tripod, he is always around when something is happening. On the bridge, the fore-deck, in the crow's nest, in the Zodiacs or ashore, he creates a video record of each voyage, including both the day-to day activities and the highlights.
Guests on a Caledonian Star cruise receive, as a matter of course, a log of their voyage written on a daily basis by a member of the lecturing staff. Containing all the details of time and place that help to recreate the cruise, these logs arrive by mail a few weeks after the end of the voyage. This year for the first time Lindblad Expeditions offers a more immediate memento of each voyage - a professionally produced video that includes all the highlights of the voyage, with footage from almost each day's activities. Guests see a preview on the last-but-one day, and can order a copy for immediate take-away.
In calm weather or storms, sunshine or overcast, Sjon goes quietly about his business, spotting the scenic shots and finding the interesting angles on whales, seals, penguins, albatrosses and people that will make up the story of the expedition. Each evening he edits the day's footage. By the end of the voyage, he will have a superb video-record ready for every passenger to take home.
