Page 23: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2019)

V

VOICES: Tomas Tillberg

Inspired by his travels, Tillberg created Cosmic Whale (left, above) on his iPad, where he can realize ideas quickly. The electronic image is more like a photo he would paint, such as his original oil rendition of

The Whale and The Cloud (left, below).

Art by Tomas Tillberg said. “It’s remote and vast and a bit mysterious, giant.”Expedition ship cabins are not huge, but too. There are high mountains, active volcanoes they are comfortable, designed with minimal- and ice. Yet the wildlife around its shores is just ist, warm colors using soft natural materials. astonishingly vibrant. Once you’ve visited on an There are storage areas for cameras, boots, and expedition ship, you also become an ambassa- cold weather gear, sans the panache. The aver- dor for Antarctica, if only because it’s such an age expedition ship’s capacity is 160 - 200 pas- awe-inspiring place. Pods of whales and colo- sengers. The cabin arrangement views the deck nies of penguins are amazing, and so diferent and beyond for passengers to enjoy a singular, from a cruise to Mexico. These colonies of pen- emotional experience of this remote, pristine guins come ashore once a year and nest. They frontier.

are not afraid; they walk up to you.” Perhaps the expedition cruise ship passenger

On ship checks, Tillberg gets to Antartica manifest is its own kind of brotherhood, akin to about twice a year. The air is clean; the mood Harley culture.

as majestic as the mountains of ice above and “Some bikers look dangerous,” he said of the below the surface. often superfcial, frst impression of Harley rid- “A whale dove under the Zodiac,” he mused. ers. “But you fnd the nicest people. You think “You could almost touch it. It is hard to convey you wouldn’t want to meet some in a dark alley. that experience. You expect that feeling with a Then you fnd out this guy’s a surgeon. You tell horse or dog but don’t expect to connect with ‘em what you ride and you’re part of the gang. a whale. It happened so fast, just this gentle It’s unpretentious. A unique experience.” www.marinelink.com 23