Tom Garmeson

“Straddling the border of Chile and Argentina, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field is one of the largest non-polar glaciers on Earth – but now it’s thinning out at an alarming rate.”

This glacier may be enormous, but it’s surprisingly elusive. I shot this photo essay for BBC Travel in 2019. Check it out here.

“This small and remote isle has played host to buccaneers, explorers, shipwrecks and one very famous whale.”

According to folklore, Chile’s indigenous Mapuche people believed the spirits of the deceased were taken to Mocha Island. The tiny teardrop-shaped isle lies about 35km off central Chile’s Pacific coast and its dark-green slopes are easily visible from the mainland. But Mocha is far from easy to reach.

There are no passenger ferries or public boat services. The only way to get to the mountainous 48-sq-km island is via a six-seat, single-propeller plane from the mainland fishing village of Tirua. Stepping out onto the windswept airstrip, Mocha could hardly feel more remote.

But Mocha’s relative isolation and tranquility belies centuries of commerce, conflict and upheaval. Pirates have come and gone, boats have run aground, and the island has been shaped by the sea and its many shipwrecks.

I wrote and filmed this multimedia story for BBC Travel in 2019. Check it out here.

“Deep in the remote reaches of Patagonia, a shimmering glacial lake holds a spectacular geological marvel.”

Boasting sculpted pillars, vaulted ceilings and ornate, textured walls, this unique cave system on the western edge of Lago General Carrera is known as the ‘marble cathedral’ by locals.

I filmed and wrote this multimedia story for BBC Travel. Check it out here.

“The once-endangered vicuna is thriving in the Peruvian Andes, thanks to a bold plan to sustainably gather and sell its valuable fleece – and give locals a stake in its survival.”

Each year in the Pampas Galeras national reserve, villagers and tourists take part in the chaccu nacional, an event which harks back to Inca times. Participants march across the plains holding a rope spanning hundreds of metres, gradually herding dozens of grazing vicunas into a corral. Herders celebrate a successful chaccu with Inca music and dancing, before shearing and releasing these beautiful animals.

I filmed and photographed a chaccu for a BBC Travel multimedia gallery in 2018. Check out the full story here.

“Easter Island’s dramatic history is echoed in the local Rapa Nui tongue. Today, the language is severely endangered, but determined islanders refuse to let it disappear.”

Beginning by investigating the mysterious origins of Rongorongo, an indecipherable script carved onto wooden tablets, I then turned my attention to the Rapa Nui language’s struggle to remain relevant in a more connected world. I visited the island’s first radio station, whose broadcasters cut seamlessly between Rapa Nui and Spanish, as well as interviewing Viki Haoa, a local linguist who has dedicated her career to protecting her mother tongue.

I wrote, filmed and photographed this multimedia gallery on the linguistic history of Easter Island for BBC Travel in 2018. Check out the full story here.