What if your office was an expedition ship in Antarctica, and your colleagues were marine biologists, ornithologists, and geologists? For German conference interpreter Luisa Bach, that's not a fantasy — it's her job.

In this episode, Luisa takes us inside a world that very few interpreters ever experience: working aboard expedition ships in Antarctica and the Arctic, interpreting for scientists and tourists while navigating Drake Passage swells, driving Zodiac boats, protecting penguins from overeager passengers, and watching whales surface right next to her boat.In this episode:How Luisa discovered and landed her dream job on an expedition shipWhat the interpreting booth looks like on a ship — and what happens when the seas get roughWhy only 100 people are allowed ashore in Antarctica at the same time

The difference between the Arctic and Antarctica as working environments

Living and working with the scientists you interpret — 12 hours a day, 40 days straightLearning to drive a Zodiac boat as part of the jobThe wildlife you encounter — penguins, whales, orcas (which are actually dolphins), polar bearsWhy AI is already replacing her subtitling work for German broadcasting

Why this kind of interpreting job is safe from AI — for nowLuisa Bach is a German conference interpreter based in Berlin. She works across simultaneous interpretation, speech-to-text interpreting, and subtitling for German broadcasting. She is a regular expedition interpreter for Hurtigruten Expeditions, working in both Antarctica and the Arctic.