Meet The Team – Mattias

The staff that make up the Polar Latitudes expedition and home teams are much more than a team – we are a tight knit family. Most of us voyage together year after year, sharing a deep love for Antarctica. We take immense pleasure in making sure your trip is one you’ll never forget, and are proud of how highly experienced and synced to our guests needs each staff member is.

Here’s a chance to get to know some of the members of our amazing team a little bit better.

Matthias Horntrich

Name and Job: Mattias Horntrich, Birder/Ornithologist and Guide

From: Zurich, Switzerland

Have you been to Antarctica? Since 2012, I have visited Antarctica almost every year between October – March.

What’s your favorite thing about Antarctica? The grandeur of the landscape. In an environment like Antarctica, you often feel quite humble, due to the raw and fantastic nature.

What is your favorite Antarctic animal? The Albatrosses and the Petrels lie close to my heart and it’s really hard to pick just one out of so many fantastic animals. But if I have to it would be the Snow Petrel. Another fun and interesting bird is the Snowy Sheathbill, with its quirky character.

Tell us about your job! As a birder, I do lectures, Citizen Science (bird surveys), zodiac driving, day-to-day guiding, and in general being an ambassador for Antarctica.

What do you love about your job at PL? I love to be there when our guests see Antarctica for the first time, as well as to guide them through this fantastic part of the world. Another thing that makes PL a great company to work for are all the nice people you get to work with.

What do you do to explore? I try to do something completely new, something that I have no experience or knowledge of. It can be gardening, trying to grow a tomato plant, knitting a hat, or finding a new path through a mountain pass that might not really be suited for hiking. It’s just fun to see where your limits go, regardless if it’s knitting or hiking.

What is your favorite place that you have traveled to? South Georgia and Galapagos.

What was one thing you learned while in isolation during COVID? Not always being in a hurry and to appreciate the little things. I can actually sit a whole day watching the wildlife in our backyard.

If you could go to Antarctica with anyone, who would it be? I already have the privilege to travel to Antarctica with great people all the time, but if I need to pick one it would be a very good friend of mine. His curiosity for wildlife and nature never stops to amaze me, and I know for sure that he would just be stunned by what Antarctica has to offer.