Fernando Tarapow, Argentine defender of Antarctica and Arctic, nominated for prestigious Shackleton Medal prize

Fernando Tarapow’s life-story seems to combine several into one. A sailor with Argentina’s Navy for more than four decades, a lawyer after 20 years of study, a university professor, and now guide for Antarctic expeditions, he has now become the first Argentine to be nominated for the Shackleton Medal, the prestigious international award recognising those working in environmental defence of the poles.

The award is named after Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of the most iconic explorers in polar history. Between 1914 and 1917, he led the legendary Endurance expedition, which became trapped in Antarctic ice. After an extreme journey, Shackleton succeeded in rescuing all 28 members of his expedition alive – an episode that made him a symbol of leadership and survival.

A hundred years after his death, in 2022, the Shackleton Foundation created the Shackleton Medal to keep the legacy alive and to recognise scientists, explorers, lawyers, communicators and activists committed to protection of the poles.

It was in that context that Tarapow’s name emerged. His candidacy arose via an Irish colleague who had shared expeditions with him and observed his work up close. “She saw all the work I have been doing, my concern for global warming, microplastics and the conservation of penguins and whales,” Tarapow recounts in an interview with Perfil.

The Argentine has already cleared the first stage of selection and is now part of the so-called “longlist,” a preliminary list from which the jury will later select the final “shortlist.” Although there are still several further stages to go, the nomination alone already represents a historic moment for Argentina.

“I am nobody, just another guide. All I do is put my full passion into what I do,” Tarapow says humbly. 

Tarapow, who was nominated for his ongoing commitment to environmental education and Antarctic protection, works as a guide on polar cruise expeditions and insists that each journey is also a teaching mission. 

“I never miss the opportunity to share my passion for Antarctica,” he explains, adding a further phrase that sums up his philosophy: “Knowing is not enough to protect; you have to love it to protect it.”

That emotional connection with the White Continent began years ago, when he was still a Navy captain. Tarapow recalls that on his last day in Antarctica as a Navy commander in Puerto Deseado, he felt that something within him had been left unfinished.

“I had photos with penguins, but the penguin was just a bird. I felt I had to return because I hadn’t managed to connect with Antarctica,” he says, describing the feeling as similar to arriving at an airport and realising you’ve forgotten something important.

From there, an unexpected journey began. He had first studied law while still at sea. It took two decades of attending classes intermittently, between voyages and family responsibilities. “Difficulties are just things you have to overcome, after all,” he recalls, quoting one of Shackleton’s favourite phrases.

He finally qualified in 2016 and quickly specialised in international law and Antarctic law. Since 2019, he has been teaching on the South Atlantic and Antarctica, covering topics such as sovereignty, the continental shelf, marine protected areas and polar legislation.

Shortly afterwards, the opportunity arose to become an Antarctic guide. An international company was seeking candidates with experience on the White Continent, academic knowledge and navigational skills. Tarapow met all three requirements.

“I am the only guide who is also a professor of Antarctic law,” he explained. Since then, he has completed four full seasons on polar expeditions, working between November and March in some of the most extreme locations on the planet.

It was during one of those voyages, in front of Shackleton’s grave in Grytviken, South Georgia, that the path which now sees him nominated for the international award began.

For Tarapow, the nomination goes beyond personal recognition. “The true medal is not the medal they give you. The true medal is that Antarctica remains a place of peace and environmental protection,” he says.

The emotion is still within him. He compares himself to a footballer called up for the national team for the first time. “Just being among the 30 is an enormous joy,” he says, laughing throughout the interview.

Yet behind the joy lies a deeper idea. “I feel like a polar Don Quixote,” he confesses. He immediately explains the meaning: “An idealist who fights with all his love for the protection of Antarctica.”

The international jury has yet to decide who will make the final list of candidates, but Tarapow continues to do the work that brought him to the extremes: embarking on expeditions, teaching, and conveying a message he considers urgent in times of global climate crisis.

For, as he insists, defending Antarctica is no longer only a scientific or geopolitical cause. It is also a human responsibility.