Staff
Thank you for making us your expedition leaders of choice
Below you will find the staff that conforms Albatros Expeditions, both in our Copenhagen Headquarters and On Board. An amalgam of knowledge from different regions, whose passion is exploring the world... and sharing their expertise to ensure that every journey abides to the high standards of quality and service that define Albatros Expeditions.
Facts about Staff
Anders Ellemann Kristensen
Anders Ellemann Kristensen
Originally from Denmark and now residing in China, Anders is the General Manager of the Albatros Travel Office in Beijing. He is responsible for marketing, sales and the daily management of Albatros Groups operations in Greater China.
In 2006, Anders took to the road as a guide for Albatros Travel, being the first to run back to back Beijing - New Delhi road and train trips over the Tibetan Plateau. This evolved into a passion for remote areas and in time, Greenland, Svalbard and the Antarctic Peninsula were added to Anders ‘another day at the office’ locations.
Anders has a M.A in Chinese from Aarhus University, a B.A in Philosophy from the University of Southern Denmark and a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (HD 1) from Aarhus University. In his spare time, he enjoys running and spending time with his family.
Andrea Bagi
Andrea Bagi
Originally from Hungary, Andrea finished her education in Denmark in the fields of Tourism, Economics, and Marketing. Her passion lies in sustainable tourism marketing, so she was thrilled to start working in a company that puts a great emphasis on personal connections, respects culture & nature, and offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Working as a consultant, she supports Albatros Expeditions with various markeing and business developement projects.
In her free time, she enjoys being out in nature, trying out water sports, and getting to know new cultures and their cuisine. While she often travels to Budapest to visit her family, she makes sure to journey to a new country every year and broaden her horizon. Some of her bucket list destinations are New Zealand and Japan.
Charlotte Hansen
Charlotte Hansen
Originally from Nuuk, Greenland. Been living in Denmark since 2004. Have always worked within the tourist industry. Started as receptionist at Greenlandic tourism, travel consultant in few different companies in Greenland and Denmark, flying as cabin crew for 13 years, and now employed as Product Coordinator at Albatros Arctic Circle and Albatros Expeditions. Appreciating family time with my little family, loves to travel, loves to experiencing local food and cultures, loves the nature and is always up for new experiences.
Craig Upshall
Craig Upshall
With over 20 years in the travel industry, I’ve got the skills to lead teams, drive sales, and build great relationships. I understand what customers need and how to create win-win partnerships. My ‘can do’ attitude and flexibility have helped me succeed in growing sales regions and working with cruise lines, airlines, and tourism boards.
My passion for travel and exploring new places has taken me around the world, including living overseas in Qatar for the last three years. Now based in the UK, I continue to embrace new challenges and opportunities with developing assigned sales regions for Albatros Expeditions.
And yes, I can probably navigate an airport blindfolded and have a suitcase packed in under 10 minutes – just don’t ask me to fold a map! When I’m not working or traveling, you’ll find me enjoying the company of my beloved dog, gigging with my wife or on the side of a rugby pitch with my son.
Derek O'Brien
Derek O'Brien
Derek grew up in Dublin but has lived in Bali, Hong Kong, Montreal, and now Copenhagen. He has a Master's Degree in Sustainable Tourism from Aalborg University, he is particularly interested in the relationship between aviation and tourism.
Since a visit to the Northwest Territories of Canada, Derek has developed a strong interest in polar/Arctic regions and the challenges of tourism in this remote and relatively unexplored part of the world.
Outside work, he loves getting to know his new home in Copenhagen and trying to learn the Danish language. Travel is naturally a big passion of his, visiting Greenland was a trip of a lifetime, and next on his bucket list is a trip to Hawaii. New Zealand is somewhere he would love to return to within the next few years.
Dominika Gloneková
Dominika Gloneková
Dominika is from Slovakia but has called Denmark home for 7 years, initially moving there for studies. With a background in tourism, she has worked in various roles within the industry and recently completed her master's in sustainable tourism development.
In her free time, she enjoys baking and working on different DIY projects, and being active, especially biking and roller skating. She has a passion for travel, finding inspiration in the diversity of people and places. Her passion for traveling and sustainability were the main reasons for joining Albatros Expeditions.
Giorgio Malvermi
Giorgio Malvermi
Born in Italy and raised between Rome and London, Giorgio has always had a deeply rooted interest in travelling and cultural exploration.
After his Double Master’s Degree in International Business and Management, his career has always been on the move, building his marketing resume in Germany, Italy, England, and Denmark, where he now fully resides.
Outside work, Giorgio still cultivates the interests he developed during his European career: from collecting Roman coins and Japanese prints, to cycling, jogging and kayaking.
Guadalupe Aguirre
Guadalupe Aguirre
Guadalupe comes from Mendoza and has been working in tourism and hospitality for over 20 years. For the last 10 years her focus has been the extreme regions of our planet. She has extensively travelled in Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard, the North West Passage and the geographic North Pole. She loves the nesting Black Browed Albatros of the Falklands and can´t get enough of encounters with Polar Bears. She´s based in Ushuaia and there will welcome all our Antarctic guests.
The interaction with other cultures fascinates her and spending time with fellow passengers onboard is an exciting part of her job. Being in the industry for so many years, she´s very excited about joining Albatros where she´ll bring her best to facilitate port operations.
She is an avid hiker and her favorite place to hike is Torres del Paine.
Janina Graf
Janina Graf
Janina, originally from Hamburg, Germany, is an experienced professional in the cruise industry with over a decade of experience. Her journey has taken her through various roles with different cruise lines, some specializing in worldwide expeditions, while others focused on polar regions.
With a diverse background, Janina has served as a Product Manager, Destination Manager on the corporate side, as well as a Tour Leader onboard numerous voyages. Her academic achievements include both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in International Tourism Management, underscoring her deep-rooted knowledge and expertise in the industry.
Janina's passion for exploration and adventure was sparked in her early twenties when she embarked on a globe-trotting adventure with nothing but her backpack. Despite her extensive travels, her passion for visiting far remote places remains as strong as ever. The allure of expedition cruising lies in the opportunity to uncover the hidden treasures of our planet. She believes there is an abundance of beauty and wonder waiting to be explored, making each voyage a truly magical experience.
At her current role a as Product Manager at Albatros Expeditions, Janina is dedicated to designing and organizing new and exciting itineraries, splitting her time between Copenhagen and her hometown, Hamburg. Outside the office she can usually be found in her garden, biking, hiking or attending music festivals. Driven by her curiosity and wanderlust, Janina continues to seek out new experiences and destinations, embodying a true spirit of adventure in both her personal and professional life.
Johanna Böck
Johanna Böck
Originally from Germany, Johanna moved to Denmark after turning 18 to work as an Au Pair. She fell in love with the city of Copenhagen and decided to stay for her Bachelor studies in Marketing. Afterwards, Johanna did her Master's in Tourism because the idea of marketing a tourist destination or a travel product has always fascinated her.
Working at Albatros Expeditions allows her to pursue her passion for tourism marketing, and she is delighted to work for a company that also prioritizes the sustainability aspect of travelling.
Besides visiting her family in Berlin often, Johanna likes to travel to new places worldwide, and she is also very passionate about all kinds of sports, especially football and ice hockey.
John Dennis
John Dennis
Karolina Zabor
Karolina Zabor
Originally from Warsaw, Poland. Karolina moved to Copenhagen in the summer of 2020 to do her master’s in advanced Migration Studies at The University of Copenhagen. After completing her education, she decided to settle in Denmark and attempt to learn Danish.
Karolina is experienced in hospitality and customer service. Having lived in Poland, France and currently Denmark, she enjoys working in an international environment, where cultural diversity is prevailing. She combines her pervious experiences from various backgrounds with newly gained skills and knowledge to provide unforgettable experiences to our guests.
She is passionate about travelling and cannot resist planning new trips every few months. On her bucket list we can find destinations such as: Japan, New Zealand, and South American countries. In her free time, she is learning Danish, baking, and doing sports.
Kia Petersen Bjørn
Kia Petersen Bjørn
Kia was born and raised in Zurich, Switzerland with Danish parents, since the summer of 2023 she now lived in Copenhagen. She completed her education with a well-known Danish shipping company, where she gained a lot of knowledge in logistics. She then worked in various frontline positions in the social services sector. Today, she has chosen to return to the back office, especially to her long-standing passion for ships and the ocean.
To continuously learn and explore is what drives Kia, to travel to new destinations and discover new cultures. In her free time, she explores Copenhagen on her bicycle or in a kayak, getting to know it as her new home.
Lene Guldmann
Lene Guldmann
Originally from Aarhus, Jutland on the west part of Denmark, Lene is now a Copenhagen resident.
Lene has more than 20 years of experience working in the individual leisure and tourism industry with focus on building strong B2B relations, high customer service, sales and production. She joined the Expedition team in 2018.
Traveling has always been very important for Lene, who is constantly looking for new adventures. In her spare time, she loves all kinds of sports, a good book and time with friends and family.
Liesbeth Zonnevijlle
Liesbeth Zonnevijlle
Born in the most south-western part of The Netherlands, Liesbeth grew up with the beach and the ocean as her playground. On her frequent visits back home, it is still one of her favourite places to go for a run or a swim. Now, she lives in the wonderful city of Copenhagen with her Danish husband and two daughters, who are a complete mix of our two nationalities.
She has been working in shipping, the travel industry and briefly in hospitality. Loving all three sectors, the job in Albatros Expeditions is perfect for Liesbeth, combining all in our beautiful product.
The best ways to spend her free time are reading books, eating good food and doing sports with her family while travelling.
Melissa Waidner
Melissa Waidner
Born and raised in Germany, Melissa spent a few years living in California and Florida in her young ages where she also fell in love with the tourism and cruise industry. Followed by that she was working onboard various cruise ships sailing the 7 seas, before she started a land-based career within the sales team of an international cruise company.
Now residing back in Germany, Melissa joined Albatros Expeditions in 2021 and is part of the international sales team. She is fluent in English, German and knows some French.
In her spare time Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exploring new destinations whenever possible, learning about other cultures as well being part of a local music orchestra in her hometown.
Michael Hjorth
Michael Hjorth
Michael has been with Albatros since 2002 – all the time with keen interest and expert knowledge in polar regions and small ship adventure. He is originally from and continues to reside in Copenhagen, but is often traveling.
Small expedition vessels has always been in the DNA of Albatros, and Michael has been producer of voyages all around the North Atlantic, along Baltic coasts, Kamchatka, into the Arctic Canada, Greenland, Pacific – and of course to Antarctica.
A geologist of education and longtime mountaineer, Michael has worked and climbed all over Greenland, and as an avid photographer has supplied our programs with stunning photos.
Rashidah Lim
Rashidah Lim
Our Business Development Manager specialised in the Asian markets. Rashidah organized and sold the first ever Singaporean chartered voyage to Antarctica. She has worked with large allotment groups from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Korea going to the Arctic and Antarctica.
Rashidah is the world's first first female asian polar expedition leader certified by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators. She has worked 8 full seasons leading a team of 20 expedition staff doing landings, zodiac crusings and hikes in the Arctic and Antarctic. Up to date, Rashidah has crossed the infamous Drake passage over 100 times.
Sara Amro
Sara Amro
Sara's journey is as diverse as the destinations we explore. Born and raised in Germany to Palestinian parents, she has called Germany, Jordan, and Ghana home before settling in the vibrant city of London. This unique blend of cultures has not only shaped her worldview but also equipped her with the ability to fluently speak Arabic, German, and English.
Armed with a degree in Business and Personal Management, Sara has spent the last four years making waves in the cruise industry. She held the position of Head of the Guest Relations Department at Silversea Cruises, where her commitment to exceptional customer service and passion for creating memorable experiences truly stood out.
Outside work, she loves horse riding and learning new languages. Fun fact about Sara, she recently opened two candy stores in London, which she owns.
Sara is eager to embark on a new adventure with Albatros Expeditions, a cruise line that resonates with her love for exploring the unseen corners of the world. Her enthusiasm for joining a smaller and more intimate cruise line aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing unique and unforgettable travel experiences.
Sebastian Arnoldus
Sebastian Arnoldus
Sebastian holds a master's in Finance & Accounting from Copenhagen Business School and worked with Private Equity before returning to Albatros Expeditions.
He spent almost three years in Greenland working in finance and in his spare time, he did a lot of small expedition adventures on his own boat. He did a lot of hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing and fell in love with the Arctic.
In Albatros, he gets to work with numbers and interesting people, a fantastic product in a challenging industry in a family-owned company. What's not to like?
He is married to Nana, and they live in Copenhagen with their toddler, Matheo who keeps them busy and happy. He tries to limit the number of hobbies but finds many outdoor activities interesting. In recent years, he immersed himself in fishing, hunting, and biking.
Steffan Danino
Steffan Danino
Steffan is originally from South Wales in the UK. He first went to the Arctic at the age of 17 and has been captivated ever since. Steffan organized his first expedition to East Greenland during his Geology degree at the University of Oxford, and went on to complete a Masters degree in Polar Studies (focusing on marine glacial geology) at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge. After completing his studies, he spent several seasons managing a small tour company in Ilulissat, Greenland, before starting to work on expedition ships. During his onboard career, he has spent several years total in the Arctic, Antarctic and everywhere in between as a Geology Lecturer, Assistant Expedition Leader, and Expedition Leader; Greenland and the wider Arctic remains his favorite destination. Steffan currently works as Product Manager at Albatros Expeditions, designing and organizing new and exciting itineraries, dividing his time between Copenhagen and his home in the wild west of Wales. Outside the office he can usually be found on the nearest beach, or in his kitchen attempting (sometimes even successfully) new culinary techniques. Whenever he can, he loves to be onboard expedition vessels reconnecting with his favorite destinations, onboard colleagues and guests, and interpreting the fascinating world of polar geology.
Søren Rasmussen
Søren Rasmussen
Thomas Bruun
Thomas Bruun
Born on the beautiful west coast of Denmark, Thomas has been fascinated by nature and the great outdoors since a young age. Originally an educated Journalist with a career as a Political Reporter, he also holds a degree in Outdoor Education and is a certified Kayak, Canoe, Climbing, and Ski Instructor.
Thomas used to live on the West Coast of Greenland for several years, guiding groups on the Ice Sheet and leading kayak tours along the coast, while also working as an Expedition Guide on ships in the Arctic and Antarctica. Today, he resides in Copenhagen where he is the Operations and Equipment Coordinator for Albatros Expeditions at the head office. He is also a part of the Albatros Adventure Marathon Team setting up thrilling races around the world.
When he isn't in the office or onboard one of the Albatros Expedition ships, Thomas is travelling to discover exciting new places around the globe. Most of his spare time is spent on all kinds of outdoor activities, including hiking, trail running and biking.
Timea Kovacs
Timea Kovacs
Originally from Romania of Hungarian ethnicity, Timea currently lives in Copenhagen and continues to work in the travel industry, which she is most passionate about.
To kick start her journey in tourism, she attained a bachelor's in Cultural Tourism in Romania and after graduation started working as a Travel Consultant specialized in South-East Asian destinations. During this time, Timea has also been a tour leader in China and Japan and grew even more fond of Japanese culture. Soon after relocating to Denmark, she pursued a master's in Sustainable Tourism Development at Aalborg University and became very interested in tourism workforce research.
Now working at Albatros Expeditions, she believes she found the perfect opportunity for her to learn about destinations she only heard great stories about and to work in a company that matches also with her values concerning sustainability.
In her free time Timea can be most probably found in a museum, hiking, or drawn into a Haruki Murakami book.
Tina Bentsen Schou
Tina Bentsen Schou
Originally from and currently residing in Copenhagen, Tina has a business education, but has been devoted to the travel industry since 1995. She started as a hotel receptionist, then worked for a large charter travel agency where she sat in several job functions: travel-consultant, sales-support, web-support & supervisor, and has been employed by Albatros Travel as a product coordinator in areas such as: Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Svalbard.
Tina loves to travel, to experience the world, tasting the local food and learning about each place’s culture and history. Recently, her focus has become exploring the Nordic Regions. In her spare time, Tina likes to be with her family, embark on other various projects, as well as all kinds of outdoor activities like cycling and hiking.
Zenia Ina Stavnshøj Torp
Zenia Ina Stavnshøj Torp
Originally from a suburb north of Copenhagen, close to the sea and forests, and currently residing in Copenhagen. Zenia has a Master's degree in Communication and has been devoted to the travel industry since 2017 in different positions – travel consultant, product & quality, marketing, and legal compliance.
Zenia is very social and spends most of her time in the company of friends and family. She dreams of exploring even more of the world and appreciating learning about new cultures and experiencing different countries. Being active is very important to her and she is often to be found in a Crossfit box or on the climbing wall. She once completed a marathon on rollerblades in Berlin, and primarily uses her bike to get around.
Aaron Strahlke
Aaron Strahlke
Aaron was born in Berlin, Germany. His fascination with geology started in his childhood, collecting stones and pebbles. In school, he became curious about what was below his feet and decided to study geology.
He attended the Freie Universität Berlin where he got his BSc in Geological Sciences. Afterward, he travelled to the beautiful city of Edinburgh/ Scotland, earning an MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from the Heriot-Watt University in cooperation with the University of Edinburgh.
Since 2017, he has been travelling to the Arctic and Antarctic regions, hoping to spark your interest in the geology around you. In 2021, he released the app “Arctic Wildlife Guide” on the google play store.
Allan McFeeters
Allan McFeeters
Ana Paula Krentz Xavier
Ana Paula Krentz Xavier
Ana was born and raised on an island in the South of Brazil, and moved to Australia at the age of 24 where she graduated in Tourism and Hospitality Management. After 11 years working as a travel agent specialised in tailoring travel itineraries in the land Down Under, she moved to the Maldives to work in Retail, an industry that gave her the opportunity to connect with people from different parts of the world, learn new cultures and establish new friendships, which she loves.
Her deep passion for travelling has taken her, as a solo female traveller, to more than 103 countries to date, across all 7 continents. When she is not helping people solidify the memories of a holiday in a gift, you will find her exploring, as her ultimate dream is to visit all 195 countries the world has to offer.
Andrea Schwetz
Andrea Schwetz
Andi has always been fascinated by marine mammals ever since she was a child.She initially graduated in sociology, but then ran her own cocktail bar for 12 years. However, her enthusiasm for sea creatures never left her and she began to travel the world to observe them thoroughly. As a scuba and freediver, she was able to get particularly close to many whale species and experience adventures. She became an Expedition guide because she wanted to share her passion with heart and enthusiasm. She was able to gain experience in Antarctica and in summer 2023 she started to work as an Expedition Guide in Svalbard. Another passion of hers is yoga, which she also instructs. She speaks English, German and Hungarian fluently.
Audun Tholfsen
Audun Tholfsen
Growing up in Lillehammer, Norway, Audun spent a lot of time skiing and being outdoors.
After finishing a degree in chemistry, he wanted to work with white water rafting for a year. He enjoyed working with people and outdoor activities, so it took him ten years to move on. Mostly because the opportunity was there, Longyearbyen became his new home, and the Arctic was where he roamed.
With experience as a snowmobile guide and a dog musher, he got asked to join the French “Tara Expedition”. Tara was put adrift over the Arctic Ocean just like the famous “Fram”, the ship of Fridtjof Nansen, had been doing more than a century earlier. He got his first year on the Arctic Ocean, later he joined other scientific drifting stations, and also did logistic work on scientific stations in Antarctica.
When not working as a logistic guide he is guiding skiing trips.
Brian Seenan
Brian Seenan
Brian’s career started as a geologist searching for diamonds in The Congo. He joined IBM and became their Oil Industry Specialist, working with oil companies around the world selecting and installing IT systems to optimise the search and production of hydrocarbons. His expertise in project management led to trouble-shooting and delivering major projects.
He is a competent marksman and has handled weapons for over 30 years. In his spare time he sails on the west coast of Scotland and walks in the Highlands where he indulges his
enjoyment of photography. He is a proficient skier. He is a published author of three books on Sex Education for children up to adults. Latterly, Brian has been working as an expedition team member on cruises in The Arctic, Central and South America, and New Zealand, specifically as a geologist and Zodiac driver.
Carina Gsottbauer
Carina Gsottbauer
Carina was born in 1982 in Austria. She studied ecology and zoology in Salzburg, Austria and marine biology in Northern Ireland before she started wandering the world. In the coming years she worked as a dog sled guide in Arctic Norway and on Svalbard, guided whale watching tours in Iceland, and backpacked through South and Middle America for a year.
Her first experience of work on an expedition vessel in Antarctica in 2019 solidified her wish to continue working in the polar regions. Her main goal is to learn as much as possible about (marine) life in order to share her knowledge and enthusiasm. She is especially fond of marine invertebrates such as molluscs and crabs, and she can often be found rockpooling. Feel free to indicate any special wishes you have for the cooperation with Albatros Expeditions - special destinations you would like to work at, special areas of interest you would like to work with, etc.
Chloe Zhang
Chloe Zhang
Born in China, Chloe dreamed to sail the seas from a young age. A lover of the outdoors and nature, Chloe's passion for the ocean, wildlife and travel led herto join Albatros Expeditions back in 2019.
David Berg
David Berg
David is an experienced polar professional from Sweden. Since 2012 he has been splitting his time between the Arctic and Antarctic, working as a full-time adventure guide and Expedition Leader. David has a wide range of experience from leading expeditions on different ships to dogsled driving and kayak guiding in the coldest regions of the world. He has led expeditions in Svalbard, Greenland, Scotland, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and of course Antarctica. In May 2016 David completed an unsupported crossing of Greenland's inland ice following the footsteps of one of his heroes, Fridtjof Nansen. The 600- kilometer long journey across the ice took 27 days. Also, he has spent several winters driving snowmobiles and guiding for Sweden's Ice Hotel, Beyond being a polar history enthusiast, David is educated in earth sciences and glaciology and is an accomplished lecturer.
David Macdonald
David Macdonald
David has had a varied career as a geologist in some of the most remote parts of the world. He grew up on the edge of the Scottish Highlands, leaving him with a lifelong love of wild places and a serious interest in rock. He graduated in geology from Glasgow University and joined the British Antarc-tic Survey (BAS) as a geologist, working on the island of South Georgia for two long field seasons and gaining a PhD from Cambridge for his research.
David rejoined BAS as a team leader, doing five more Antarctic expeditions: three in the Antarctic Peninsula and two in the Transantarctic Mountains. He reached the South Pole, courtesy of the US Navy (but not by ship) and was awarded a Polar Medal in 1987. In the 1990s, he was Chief Geologist of an Arctic research organization based in Cambridge University. He managed frontier projects across the globe, with personal expeditions to Spitsbergen, Siberia, Sakhalin, Patagonia, and the Falklands.
Diego Punta Fernandez
Diego Punta Fernandez
Diego Punta Fernandez is an Expedition Leader, avid birder, and general naturalist with more than a decade working in the polar regions. Living in Patagonia since the late 90’s, he’s been guiding groups to the most isolated and unique places in the world like El Chaltén, Ushuaia, Antarctica, the British Isles, Norwegian fjords, Svalbard, Greenland and Iceland.
Passionate about birds and polar environments, Diego owns and runs a publishing company 49Southphoto, and has published several guides of flora and fauna of Patagonia, Antarctica and the Arctic regions (www.49southphoto.com) Diego has developed and participated in many conservation projects in South Patagonia and in local schools and communities, as well as designed educational signs and posters for the National Parks in Argentina. He currently lives in Ushuaia with his family.
Eva Prendergrast
Eva Prendergrast
Eva is a polar scientist, with a particular passion for marine mammals. Her love for
whales led to her graduating at the top of her class with a Masters in Polar Science
from the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. Her thesis, in
collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey, was awarded multiple Brain Roberts
Research Grants, allowing her to travel to the Smithsonian Museum in DC and the
Natural History Museum in London to collect ancient whale bone samples. ‘Hope’, the
blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling of the NHM in London is part of her
thesis! Eva has a particular interest in scientific communication and making research accessible
to our community. Her research has gained notable awards at several international
conferences and her most recent publication was picked up by National Geographic,
IFL Science and LiveScience to name a few. For the last ten years, Eva has
been an active member on-board expedition ships, research boats, whale watching
vessels and various others in between (including a submarine!). She has travelled extensively
across all seven continents, with particular focus as of late in the polar regions
and Africa. Pre-pandemic Eva lived and worked in China as the Chief Operating
Officer of an international education company but now has found home in Iceland.
Federico Perez Campanelli
Federico Perez Campanelli
Federico Perez Campanelli was born in Argentina. He has been involved working with NGOs that support environmental conservation and positive social impact. His passion has lead him to train and study in diverse professional fields where the common thread has been caring for people, nature and life.
He is also a certified Mountain Guide and for 11 years Federico has been leading expeditions up Aconcagua Mountain in the South American Andes. He is a Lifeguard and Rescue Swimmer and he has volunteered his professional service at humanitarian rescue organizations working in open sea.
Federico holds a technical degree in Civil Protection and Emergencies and continue studying. He currently works in Search and Rescue teams and is a Wilderness First Responder trainer.
Traveler, music and book lover, Federico is always looking for new answers to life.
Gaby Pilson
Gaby Pilson
Originally from the United States, Gaby is a guide and outdoor educator with a passion for introducing people to the world’s most beautiful and unique places.
She is a keen hiker, climber, paddler, and skier and has travelled extensively in search of the next great adventure. Gaby holds undergraduate degrees in philosophy and environmental studies, with a focus on meteorology and glaciology, and is a candidate for a master’s degree in Outdoor Education from the University of Edinburgh. When not working in the polar regions, you can find Gaby working as a mountaineering and climbing guide in Alaska, teaching wilderness medicine, freelance writing, travelling, or leading students on remote wilderness expeditions around the world.
Gregers Gjersøe
Gregers Gjersøe
Gregers has 25 years of experience as an airline pilot, including a year stationed at Thule Airbase, located on Greenland’s northwest coastline. He is fluent in Danish and English. He shares a deep fascination for the Arctic region’s people, spectacular nature, wildlife and the old polar explorers.
In 2014, Gregers was funded by the Danish Ministry of Education to write a book for Danish schoolchildren about Greenland and the Arctic. These interests and his desire to better understand the Arctic and Antarctic, inspired Gregers to open a polar school for Danish schoolchildren.
Through this program, he travels Denmark, visiting schools and sharing his innovative education about our polar regions. Gregers has traversed Greenland on skis and together with his friend, they were the first Danes to walk on skis to the South Pole.
Guillaume de Remacle
Guillaume de Remacle
After travelling the world working in Asia, Oceania and South America in various environmental projects, Guillaume ended up in Antarctica as a wildlife monitor at Port Lockroy.
Spending four-month on this British base gave him the opportunity to learn a lot about the Antarctic Peninsula, and specifically about Penguins and other Antarctic birds.
Now a bird specialist, Guillaume has been working as an Ornithologist for two years, sharing his knowledge and experiences with Albatros Expeditions Guests.
Heidi Ahvenainen
Heidi Ahvenainen
Heidi hails from Finland where she started her guiding career in Finnish Laplandmore than 15 years ago. She has since worked in various roles in tourism, lived in Scotland, Italy, England, and Bali, and travelled extensively around the world. She spend the 2018-2019 Antarctic summer season working as a Base Leader at the Penguin Post office at Port Lockroy, where she lived on an island the size of a football pitch with four other people and 1500 Gentoo penguins for four months.
The following year she returned to Antarctica as an expedition guide and also spent another two months at Port Lockroy helping the team out. The past year she has lived in Eastern Lapland working as a project manager on a project related to an establishment of Finland’s 41st national park in January 2022
Hella Martens
Hella Martens
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Hella has harbored a deep fascination with the natural world since childhood. Her BSc. degree in Wildlife Management, Policy and Education led her into the realm of the oceans’ giants. Since 2004, Hella has worked in cetacean research, conservation and education throughout Scotland, the Canary Islands, Canada, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Iceland, the Azores and beyond. She has also been trained as an offshore marine mammal observer in the seismic industry. In 2016, after two polar winters leading whale watching expeditions in Northern Norway, Hella joined small ship expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica as a lecturer, zodiac driver and kayak guide. When not at sea she enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, working with horses and downtime at her family home in the French countryside.
Jakob (Kuba) Potrawiak
Jakob (Kuba) Potrawiak
Kuba is from Germany and he first developed a passion for the wilderness and the outdoors when he moved to New Zealand back in 2010. In New Zealand, he studied to become a glacier guide and received the certificate “Hard Ice Guide” from the New Zealand Mountain Guide Association. His longing for further adventures took him to places where he could work on the ice and get more experience in places such as Iceland, Chile, Canada, Norway, and the Arctic. During this time he had the chance to further develop his skills through various courses like the “Wilderness First Responder”. He also went to Greenland to complete the “Arctic Survival & Polar Course”, this course was to prepare him for adventures in our Polar regions. It was all his adventures and experience that finally led him to the Antarctic.
Jeff Zhou
Jeff Zhou
Jeff was born in Tianjin, a coastal city in China. His father, an explorer, took him on frequent travels since he was a young boy, igniting his passion for adventure. Growing up by the sea, he honed his watercraft skills, inspired by his surroundings.
As he grew older, Jeff immersed himself in ocean-related work, dedicating his time to expeditions and voyages. He has made multiple visits to the Antarctic and Arctic regions, gaining extensive knowledge about these polar areas. Alongside his expertise in polar regions, Jeff is well-versed in Asian culture, making conversations with him an opportunity to learn intriguing facts.
Jordan Koroll
Jordan Koroll
Jordan was born and raised in a small lakeside town a few hours north of Toronto, Ontario. From an early age, he was passionate about water sports and wildlife. He paired the two by pursuing a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a specialization in mammalian physiology. His career has taken him in the direction of sharing that expertise with others while wearing a number of different hats in the outdoor guiding industry. Jordan has been a naturalist guide, skipper and paddle guide; logging more than 65 voyages aboard expedition ships! When he's got some time off, you're likely to find him adventuring around the Rocky mountains of Canada, where he will be dividing his time running up the side of a mountain or snowboarding down them.
Julia Wellner
Julia Wellner
Julia grew up in Germany with a taste of roaming and exploring nature and a taste for travelling. After studying photography in Vevey on the shores of the Lake of Geneva in Switzerland, she has worked and lived in the USA and France. Once back to the calm grounds of Switzerland, she spent almost ten years organizing medical emergency evacuations and repatriations worldwide – a passionate work but with a lack of nature and real adventure!
In 2016, Julia came to Svalbard as a selected artist of a residency onboard a sailboat. Touched by the incredible nature, she suddenly had found a new path to follow: she moved to Longyearbyen 3 months later and is since then working as a guide and expedition leader on expeditions cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica. Her joy is to share her passion for the polar regions with others.
Julien Caquineau
Julien Caquineau
Originally a Professional action sports athlete for Nike ACG (BASE jump, Ice climbing, paragliding, climbing) and a commercial helicopter pilot from France, Julien conducted several sports expeditions before he decided to establish in Oqaatsut, a small village of 29 inhabitants in North Greenland, with his Greenlandic wife and 3 kids, to live the life of a traditional hunter with his qajaq and 20 dogs. During the last 17 years, besides his job as a hunter/ fisherman, Julien logged 240 expedition days on the Inland ice and +1000 expedition days on the sea-ice by dogsled and skiing.
Since 2008 he has been the safety coordinator for several movie projects and scientific projects. In 2015 he decided to let extreme sports expeditions aside to focus more on tourism to share his knowledge and passion for Greenland culture, making lectures about Greenlandic dogs, dogsled and qajaq culture in North Greenland. He has since then worked for several major tour operators in Greenland and has guided tourists on boats, sailboats, kayaks, dogsled, scuba diving, climbing, ice-climbing, and paragliding. Julien speaks Kalaallisut (Greenlandic), French, and English. Currently learning Danish.
Karine Dea Routhier
Karine Dea Routhier
Born in Canada, Karine grew up surrounded by nature at its most, with wildlife, harsh winters and unlimited landscapes. After 9 years as a professional dancer at Le Crazy Horse de Paris, Karine was ready for a new challenge.
Being used to bring sparkles and happiness in people’s life with her dances, and willing to reconnect with nature, she joined Albatros as Expedition Guide and Guest Service Agent. It is the perfect opportunity she was dreaming about. Be ready to connect yourself with Antarctica around her.
Kevin Closs
Kevin Closs
Kevin Closs is an independent arts professional and arts educator from Manitoulin Island. Many of Kevin’s songs have become part of northern Ontario’s cultural landscape. An accomplished educator, he is a sought-after arts presenter and workshop facilitator.
Since 2015, Kevin has worked as a Polar Tourism Guide with expedition cruise operators in the polar regions. He has guided in Svalbard, Greenland, South Georgia and Antarctica.
Kristoffer Ronning
Kristoffer Ronning
Kris comes from the great plains of Saskatchewan also known as the bread basket of Canada.
He has been living on Svalbard from 2016-2020 where he studied in the Arctic Nature Guiding program and worked as a guide. He is currently studying a master's degree in friluftsliv (a Scandinavian approach to experiencing the outdoors) in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. Kris has experience guiding: kayak expeditions, hikes, cruise expeditions, ski expeditions, and ice cave tours on Svalbard. Kris speaks English and Norwegian.
Lucian Negrut
Lucian Negrut
Luis Turi
Luis Turi
Luis Turi is originally from Patagonia. Born in Neuquén city, in the north of Patagonia, he is now living in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego the last 25 years.
Luis loves the outdoors and nature, and really enjoy the work traveling in the wilderness, guiding interesting people in that amazing places.
Luis has guided and traveled to many places, like Antarctica, Ladak in north India, Greenland, South America (Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Argentina), and, of course, in the wonderful Patagonia.
When he is not sailing or guiding, Luis is writing, developing inventions with scrap or planting trees in remote impated areas of Tierra del Fuego Island.
Martin Johansen
Martin Johansen
Martin N. Johansen is a danish free-lance photographer and writer. He developed an appreciation for nature in his early teens and since then, he remains in awe of the wonders of our planet. His pictures and articles has appeared in various international magazines and he has published eight books of travel and nature photography. In his spare time, he enjoy outdoors activities such as cycling, canoeing and camping/hiking in the wilderness.
Mikaela von Koskull
Mikaela von Koskull
Originally from Korpo, in the southwestern Archipelago of Finland, Mikaela inherited her love and respect of nature and sea, from a long line of seafarers in her family. She started her career graduating as Radio Officer from Mariehamn Maritime Institute, working on merchant ships, followed by ship´s purser on passenger ships . Slowly she gained seamiles and experience to follow her real dream:To become a professional yachtswoman on sailing yachts!
These yachts have taken her around the world several times, participating in races like the Volvo Ocean Race, Jacques Vabre and Jules Verne. Having spent so many miles and years on fast, extreme yachts, both in the Northern and Southern Hempishere, she now enjoyes being part of similar expeditions , although on somewhat slower ships.
Since 2009 she has been working as a tour guide, mainly in Europe and Africa, as well as zodiac driver in Svalbard and Greenland. When not enjoying her two favourite areas, the North and the South Pole, Mikaela enjoyes being at home on her small farm in Portugal, riding her horse or hiking in the Alentejo countryside.
Mike Scotting
Mike Scotting
Mike’s interest in geology, our environment, and how it forms and changes, began in childhood. It has been a privilege for him to be able to enjoy a career working in a field that is also a hobby. That privilege increased in 2016 when Mike first joined the Expedition Cruise business.
At first simply as a lecturer in Geology, but gaining skills as a Zodiac Driver, Guide, and Rifle Handler. Working in this business allows Mike to see more rocks in more spectacular places than he could have dreamed of, and he treasures every day on-board ship. Mike is lucky to live in Scotland, the birthplace of Geology as a science, and home to one of the widest ranges of rocks anywhere in the world.
Nick Fellowes
Nick Fellowes
Nick started his career in adventure travel working as a sailing instructor on a remote island in NW Scotland. Since then, he has travelled extensively around the world exploring the natural history of wilderness areas and travelling and working in remote locations, including Svalbard, Patagonia, the Canadian Rockies, the Indian Himalayas, Iceland and Arctic Norway, Sweden, Finland and Antarctica.
An accredited wilderness guide, he has led tours in a variety of disciplines from exploring wild cave systems and tracking Wolves to dogsledding expeditions and interpreting Arctic and Antarctic natural history. Nick studied Zoology and Countryside Management in the United Kingdom and, being endlessly inquisitive, has a broad interest in all natural science, including palaeontology, geology and geomorphology.
Nils Egeland
Nils Egeland
Nils was born in Lindesnes, Southern Norway. From a young age, he has been spending his time outdoors, hunting, fishing and trapping. Nils graduated from the Norwegian tourist association as a certificated outdoor guide. He has been working as a guide in the mountains in Norway as well as onboard Norwegian sailing boats in eastern Greenland and as a crab-fisherman in the Barents Sea. He is also educated as an elementary school teacher.
The real interest for the Arctic and Svalbard came while he had his military service onboard one of the Norwegian Coast Guard vessels in the arctic. The last three years Nils has been living in Svalbard and working full time as a ski and snowmobile guide during the winter and yacht skipper in the summer. During the dark months in the Arctic he likes to go traveling and explore new places.
Otto Aizenman
Otto Aizenman
Born in Buenos Aires- Argentina, Otto has been passionate about water sports since he was a boy, such as speed kayaking K1s, canoeing, scuba diving, and kite surfing. He started his career in the emergency services 13 years ago, trained with the Argentinian Prefecture to become a Rescue Swimmer and lifesaver, and worked in multiple countries around the world such as Spain, France, Argentina, and the UK.
He also has been working as a Kayak Guide in the south of Buenos Aires Province for the last 3 summer seasons, canoeing in Antarctica with and instructed by the training of ACA (American Canoe Association). Since 2018 he has been committed to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the southwest of England, training lifeguards in operational command and first aid.
Pierre Gallego
Pierre Gallego
Pierre is a veterinarian specialised in cetacean medicine. He has been working in the field of marine biology for 18 years, and has been organising cetacean research internships around the world since 2004. He represents the Government of Luxembourg at the International Whaling Commission and CCAMLR, and works with international NGOs to promote marine mammal conservation and to offer alternatives to cetacean captivity. He has carried out research on humpback whales in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Mozambique, and on killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar. He has been guiding in polar regions since 2018.
He is a keen birdwatcher and photographer. He is a professional scuba diver but prefers freediving. The ocean is his passion, and water is his element!
Piotr Damski
Piotr Damski
Piotr was born in Poland where he got a Bachelors degree in Tourism at the University of Physical Education in Poznan. He has been exposed to the diversity and beauty of the world in his early years, thanks to his outdoorsy parents, and ever since his life became a never ending journey. His thirst for exploration and experience and nomadic nature brought him to many different corners of the world where he got to learn and try many unusuall things like lobster fishing in Maine, Geoduck harvesting in Washington state or heli-skiing in British Columbia. Fort over three years he has lived and worked as a guide on Svalbard embracing and enjoying the hardship of arctic life. He has a huge knowledge about local fragile nature which he has explored on foot, kayak, snowmobile, boat and dog sled. He thrives in cold regions and enjoys the life a lot.
Qimeng Yin
Qimeng Yin
Rene Olsen
Rene Olsen
Renè Olsen grew up on the west coast of Norway, with the north sea, deep fjords and big mountains all around him, making him experience all the toughest nature has to offer allready from young age. He early on knew he wanted to be a guide outdoors and allready at age 16 did he's first guideschool.
He's later spent time guiding in the mountains as well on the sea in Norway and North America.
With he's time from the Norwegian army, experience from guiding on 3 continents, and also handling boat's on the Norwegian coast as a skipper, in Svalbard and on the mainland, he'll be sure to keep you safe and also entertain you, while out adventuring together.
Sabrina Kerth
Sabrina Kerth
Originally from Germany, Sabrina moved to Norway to study in the far north. She fell in love with the nature and lifestyle and decided to move to Svalbard to work in tourism. She has lived in Longyearbyen fulltime for 3.5 years, experiencing both the long polar night and midnight sun. Working both as a guide and in the office, she has been showing this incredible place to guests from all over the world. In the winter, she goes cross-county skiing with her Husky and in the summertime, she likes to hike and kayak. After some seasons of total darkness, she now spends her winters a little further south in
Lapland, Sweden, managing a wilderness lodge and working as a dogsledding guide.
Sanna Kallio
Sanna Kallio
Love and passion for great outdoors, adventurers, exploring our planet and taking the steps to unknown has been key things for Sanna all her life. Since childhood traveling and being outdoors has been important part of her life but she really got started when she moved to Svalbard to study in University Centre in Svalbard.
She has always been adventures person who likes natural environments and discover how our planet is working. She studied physical geography, glaciology and geology at the university. After her years in Svalbard she travelled around the world exploring the great outdoors, amazing wildlife and different cultures. Since living in the Arctic was not enough for her, she worked as a overwintering field guide in Halley research station for British Antarctic Survey.
After exploring Antartica, she travelled more in Africa to see its wildlife before she took her skies and skied across the Greenland ice sheet. She was the first Finnish female who skied to South Pole from the coast of the Antarctica. She likes to share her passion about outdoors and wildlife with others. Several years she has been expedition guide and zodiac driver on the ships mainly in the Arctic and Antarctica. When she has free time she is just travelling different parts of the world. Or, when ever she can, she wants to explore the world, climb mountains and glaciers, ski middle of nowhere, taking photos of wildlife or be on the water. Just flipping do it- is her motto.
Sanne Paarman
Sanne Paarman
Born and raised in Denmark, Sanne today lives in a small village near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Sanne holds a Bachelor degree in Natural Science and an MBA. She works in educational publishing and has written and edited science high school study books for many African countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Cameroon and Rwanda.
Current work on the whale populations of the Southern Seas has taken her to Antarctica for research. Sanne also feels at home in the African bush where she works as a tour leader, guiding groups on safaris in the many national parks of Southern Africa. During her spare time, Sanne enjoys sailing, hiking in the mountains and spending time in the great outdoors.
Thomas Bauer
Thomas Bauer
Thomas is an Australian of Bavarian origin. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, London and also a Fellow of The International Centre of Excellence in Tourism & Hospitality Education. He has audited hotel and tourism schools in Austria, China, Dubai, Fiji, Holland, the Philippines and Thailand. His Ph.D. thesis dissertation investigated commercial tourism in Antarctica (1991-1998). Later, it was published as a book entitled, Tourism in the Antarctic: Opportunities, Constraints and Future Prospects. Thomas also filmed and produced, Voyage to Antarctica.
Thomas has travelled extensively in some 75 countries and on all continents. Since his first voyage in 1994, he has visited Antarctica on 35 occasions as a guide, historian, naturalist, presenter, researcher, photographer, and Zodiac driver. In the 90s, Thomas was lecturer, senior lecturer and Associate Professor in tourism at Victoria University in Melbourne. From 1999 to 2012, he was Assistant Professor of tourism in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Today, he is an Adjunct Professor in Sustainable Tourism at Central Queensland University.
Thomas and his wife, Lina, are the owners of a large rainforest property in tropical Mission Beach, Far North Queensland, Australia where they have established the Mission Beach Butterfly Garden.
Unnur Sæmundsdottir
Unnur Sæmundsdottir
Unnur grew up in Reykjavík Iceland but during summer the family moved up north to the small island of Hrísey. Eider farming, growing trees, fishing, and performing various outdoor activities made me learn to love and respect nature.
It was a privilege staying there in the 24-hour daylight despite all kinds of weather and being quite isolated. She still spends most of the summer in this paradise of people and birds.
For the past 8 winters she was living in London with her husband but now she is back home for good. London was fine but she is happy to be more around her two grown-up sons, family, and friends ... and close to nature!
Xiaoqian (Hsiao) Yang
Xiaoqian (Hsiao) Yang
From Shenyang via Adelaide, Melbourne and Beijing, Hsiao now calls Vancouver Island home. He has worn many hats - from school teacher, translator, journalist, film producer and banker. As a passionate globe-trotter, both for work and wanderlust, joining Albatros marked a new chapter in his life, with which Hsiao has ventured across some of the world's most extreme terrains, deepening his connection with our planet and its eclectic mix of wildlife and humanity, in all diverse and colorful forms. The journeys have sparked a profound appreciation for nature in him, a fervor he shares eagerly with everyone he meets.