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.
In her free time, she enjoys being out in nature, trying out water sports, and getting to know new cultures and their cuisine, which she will then TRY to recreate in her own kitchen for her friends.
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.


Anne Marie Hashiba
Anne Marie Hashiba
Born in Japan to a Danish father and a Japanese mother, Anne Marie grew up in Southern Jutland. Anne Marie lived in California as a young adult and started her passion for Airline and Travel industry in Los Angeles.
Now residing in Yokohama with more than 25 years of experience in the field, she works in the Sales team for Albatros Expeditions. She is fluent in Danish, English and Japanese, and also knows some German.
In her spare time when not travelling with work, Anne Marie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exploring new destinations and learning about other cultures, as well as tasting great local food.


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.


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.


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.

Hans Lagerweij
Hans Lagerweij
Originally from the Netherlands and now based in Miami, Hans holds an MBA from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Hans is currently the CEO of Albatros Expeditions, the fastest-growing polar and Nordic travel expert in the world, and previously worked as Senior Vice President of yachts for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
Having worked and lived in seven countries, Hans his imagination knows no limits when it comes to creating unique guest experiences, from sailing a chartered nuclear icebreaker to the North Pole, to organizing marathons in some of the most unique locations in the world, such as Greenland, sailing expedition cruises deep into the Peruvian Amazon, and camping excursions in Antarctica. Hans is also a trustee of the Safer Tourism Foundation in the United Kingdom.


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


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.


Maria Romina Frassa
Maria Romina Frassa
Originally from Argentina, but also of Italian descent. Maria obtained her BA in Tourism and Hospitality and a registered Tour Guide of Buenos Aires City.
She has worked in the tourism industry, especially in cruise lines companies, for more than 10 years. Maria has experience as a customer services specialist, group coordinator, and event manager.
She currently lives in Warsaw, Poland, and collaborates with Albatros Expeditions as Cruise Advisor.
She has a great passion for tourism and customer services. Maria is interested in visiting new places and cultures. Her hobbies are exercising, walking or bicycling around the city, swimming, reading tourist books, and learning new languages. So far, she speaks perfectly in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, a little in French, and she is currently pursuing Polish.


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.


Milagros Scavarda
Milagros Scavarda


Philip Stack
Philip Stack
Mexico, Cuba, China, Greece, Turkey – he’s been there and been there thoroughly. Swedish mother, Irish father, brought up in Denmark. Needless to say that Philip was but a mere boy when his path towards entanglement in the addictive web of charter tourism began. Breaking a sweat under the burning sun, Philip has guided many a Dane, Swede and Norwegian through everything from the maze of treacherous markets vendors in Beijing to the pitfalls of Havanese cuisine before finally settling down with the Albatros family. He now roams the halls in Toendergade planning voyages for Albatros Expeditions. Philip knows a little bit about everything and is the perfect go-to-guy if you are in dire need of nerdy information or just a fun chat – he WILL make you laugh!


Rashidah Lim
Rashidah Lim
Rashidah graduated with a Degree in Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University and worked in KPMG. Afterwards, Rashidah decided to go the unconventional route and pursue her passion for dance, and has been working as a professional dance instructor and performer. She now has over 10 years of experience under her belt, and is often featured on national TV, newspapers and magazines. Rashidah was once selected to demonstrate some dance moves to the ex-President of Singapore, and be a leader in the introduction of Zumba, which has now grown to be one of the most popular form of exercise. She has in the past performed for renowned celebrities and brands such as Nike, Adidas and Sephora.
A keen interest in learning about different cultures, as well as gaining new experiences, has led Rashidah across the globe and allowed her to connect with people from various parts of the world. She discovered her love for polar regions, and has worked as an expedition guide in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. Rashidah is tri-lingual in English, Chinese and Malay. She is positive and sociable, and enjoys meeting new people with a smile. When not on board one of our vessels she is busy selling our Polar voyages to agents in all of South East Asia.


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.


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.


Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller
Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Andrew has been traveling since the age of 12.
He has made his career as an international photographer, including 15 years at sea, and several cross-continent motorcycle trips. As a teenager, he delivered the local paper. Grabbing his camera whenever he could, he had it ready when a North American Black Bear made an unusual trip into his city neighbourhood.
Instead of just delivering the paper, his photograph was on the front page. He has been working as a professional photographer ever since.
In his 15 years abroad, Andrew has spent a lot of time in the Baltic region, Australia/New Zealand, and has lived in the Philippines and Mexico.


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.


Ab Steenvoorden
Ab Steenvoorden
Born in the Netherlands and growing up in a small coastal town, Ab started bird watching at a very young age. Watching and counting birds while migrating along the Dutch coast is one of his favorite activities. Later he started to survey breeding birds in the dunes around his hometown Noordwijk, wrote several reports and advised landowners on how to protect the breeding birds.
After graduating with a diploma in Nature and Landscaping, he worked for the Dutch Royal Family for over 15 years. He got his International Tree Worker Certificate and started his own landscaping company. He also used his climbing skills to help with several research projects, ringing Barn Owls and Tawny Owls.
After travelling and bird watching all over Europe, Ab started to guide small private groups to good birding places in Europe, USA, parts of Africa and Asia, using local bird guides and staying in local places. In his hometown Noordwijk, Ab was a volunteer crew member on a lifeboat with the Dutch KNRM (Royal Dutch Lifeboat Association) for over 10 years. He did his training in the Netherlands, and Scotland, with the Dutch Coastguard and the Dutch Navy. He loved to be out on the North Sea in bad weather conditions during SAR operations and training days.
Since 2015, Ab works part-time as a bird guide on Expedition Ships and has made several trips to the Arctic and Antarctica.


Alejandro Ursino
Alejandro Ursino
Founder of USH Magazine, the first bilingual International Collective Cultural Magazine in theregion, Alejandro has been working on several projects connecting communities from allover the world with valuable content through his Magazine, so people can have access togreat and motivational stories.He started as a graphic designer and traveled to Colorado, USA, where he worked at TheAspen Times among other publications.Tired of being part of a superficial media world decided to start his own publication agencyto make a difference. Now with thousands of readers, the concept makes more sense,publications like Nat Geo and BBC are participating in his projects, WWF, and PEW amongother NGOs, as part of an activist side, which is the most important thing.


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.


Andrew Wenzel
Andrew Wenzel
Andrew is Canadian and comes from Vancouver British Columbia “the most beautiful city in the world” according to him. During the past several years, when not working on a ship Andrew has been spending his off time in China and Taiwan struggling to learn Mandarin. His varied naturalist, guiding and photography experience includes; nine years with the ORES Centre for Coastal Field Studies as a field director conducting whale research and photographing whales, underwater stills photographer on the T.V. shows The Last Frontier and Danger in the Sea, tour leader in Ecuador and the Galapagos, four seasons as a naturalist for Holland America in Alaska, naturalist at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. Andrew has been working as a lecturer on small ships in the Antarctic and the Arctic since 1993. His photographs have been sold all over the world for all manner of purposes. Andrew has lots of stories about encounters with wildlife. Ask him about the time a wild whale grabbed his hand.


Barbara Post
Barbara Post
Barbara was born in Austria and has always had a sincere passion for nature and mountaineering. Therefore, the biology study in Innsbruck fit perfectly to her interests. During her bachelor study program, she already worked for several scientific projects on cold ecosystems (Alpine region, Arctic) as well as the tropics (Central America). During this time, she developed a strong passion for the lives of animals, especially invertebrates.
She finished her Master of Science/Zoology with writing a thesis about a water bear species, a tiny resilient multicellular animal, living on the surface of glaciers.
In 2012 the freshly graduated zoologist entered the world of tourism as a passionate nature guide and ever since joined many expedition cruises in cold regions (Arctic, Antarctica) and warmer climes (South America, Southeast Asia, Australasia, Oceania).


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.


Constantina Costa
Constantina Costa
Constantina was raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since she was a child she felt really fond of nature and animals. She was lucky to start a journey when she was very young around
South America that opened her world to different cultures and ways of life. After that journey she devoted to practice and teach meditation and breathing techniques. Since 2016 she has been living and working as a tour guide in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. Some of the tours include Tierra del Fuego National Park and the penguin colonies of Martillo Island. Due to the proximity of Ushuaia to the White Continent, the call to Antarctica was not long to come.


David Dieckfoss
David Dieckfoss
David is a conference presenter who uses demonstrations and practical activities to promote curiosity and wonder in Antarctic Science and the mechanisms that govern the health and biodiversity of our environment. David has over 25 years of experience developing and delivering programs for schools, universities, the Mawson’s Huts foundationandis the organiser of numerous school flights over Antarctica, visits to Antarctic research facilities in Hobart and ship tours through Antarctic researchvessels.
He has over 70 days voyage experience as Education and Science communicator, photographer and interviewer on board the CSIRO RV Investigator. As a geologist and science teacher, David will be presenting topics on the formation of Antarctica, plate tectonics, Earths Magnetic poles, the role of carbon in our atmosphere and oceans and even a topic on Polar dinosaurs.


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.


David Reid
David Reid
For over twenty five years, David has been involved in the Arctic expedition and travel business.
Since moving from Scotland to the Arctic, he has led, organized or participated in more than three hundred Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, trips and projects. In that time he has travelled thousands of miles by dog sled, ski, snowmobile, boat, kayak, ship, foot and most recently became the first person to cross Baffin Island by fat tire bike. He has completed eighteen successful expeditions through the Northwest Passage and guided over seventy trips to Churchill, Manitoba.
He was recently honoured by Canada Goose by becoming a “Goose Person” (one of only 50 people chosen across Canada) and share in the 50th anniversary of this great Canadian company.


Emma Hansen
Emma Hansen
Emma (Emmarentia) Hansen was born and raised in the stunning Lowveld area of Mpumalanga, South Africa, adjacent to Kruger National Park.
Growing up on a farm, wildlife, animals and nature have always played an integral part in her life. After a chance cruise in 1998, she switched careers and literally ran away to sea. Moving to Durban, where she
completed her commercial skipper’s ticket, she joined the large cruise liners operating in the Indian Ocean, as a Zodiac driver. In 2007, her move to ‘Small Ship Cruising’ as an Assistant Expedition Leader greatly
enlarged her geographical knowledge base and she is now a veteran of the globe, including the polar regions. “No matter how many times you visit, the polar trips knock you out. The fabulous scale of the Norwegian
landscape and the 24-hour daylight are like another world. In the Antarctic you see this amazing contrast between the bumbling behaviour of seals and penguins on land, versus their sheer grace in the water. You are surrounded by a landscape made entirely of water in liquid and solid forms and you are amazed at how beautiful that can be.”
“People often ask, ‘What’s your favourite destination?’ and that’s difficult. My answer is that there are three “g’s” - and then a fourth. There’s the gang (of staff), the guests and the geography. It’s my job to create the chemistry so all three coalesce, and when that happens then wherever we are, is great.”


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.


Fridrik Fridriksson
Fridrik Fridriksson
Born and raised in Iceland, Fridrik moved permanently to Norway in his twenties. He initially moved to Svalbard in the High Arctic where he did a yearlong guide course in 2012/2013.
Upon completion Fridrik worked as a guide in the Arctic for several years, both on land and sea, everything from snowmobiling, skiing, and hiking to fast boats and expedition cruises. In
recent years he has focused exclusively on expedition cruising where he specializes in the polar regions.
Over the years he has taken on various roles, from a general naturalist guide to expedition leader. Fridrik is very passionate about guiding and outdoor nature experiences. In his private time, he loves to go hiking, camping, and skiing. He speaks fluent Icelandic, Norwegian, English, and German.


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.


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.


Hans Zhou
Hans Zhou
Residing in the city of Beijing, China, Hans has accumulated over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage hospitality industry, working in both hotels and cruise lines. Alongside his expertise in the hospitality sector, he has also ventured into personal training.
Now embarking on a new chapter, Hans is thrilled to be pursuing a career as an expedition guide and zodiac driver in the polar regions. His role extends beyond navigating icy waters; he will also provide vital support to the team as an English-Chinese interpreter.
With his diverse background and extensive knowledge, Hans is a valuable addition to the polar expedition team. His passion for exploration and commitment to delivering exceptional experiences ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey for all involved.


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


Jamie Watts
Jamie Watts
Jamie is a marine ecologist and expedition leader, who spends as much time as possible in Earth’s most spectacular ecosystems. After two years overwintering with British Antarctic Survey on South Georgia from 2004, Jamie has been full time on expedition ships across the globe, logging over 370,000 miles and 2850 days on ships at sea, including 221 expedition voyages.
Jamie presents on marine and polar wildlife, global-scale ecology and human ecological footprints, and has written for magazines and websites around the world. Jamie has dived and free-dived from under the ice at the North Pole to the Antarctic, and has logged 1700 dives. He is father to twenty-year old Alex.


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.


Juan Cascallares
Juan Cascallares
Juan was raised in Buenos Aires suburbs, where he developed a keen interest for nature and wilderness. As soon as he turned 18, he started guiding at the local natural reserve long starting his university studies. Juan also coordinated educational camping trips with schools.
He couldn´t be anywhere but the wild. He started working as a guide in Antarctica in 2016, and passion for the job grew instantly. Juan participated in two whole seasons, and is looking forward to more. He is almost a self-made interpretative guide, and enjoys each natural topic about polar regions, while he has also recently obtained his WFR accreditation.
In his free time, he enjoys painting watercolors as much as going back to the woods.


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.


Kalle Møller Nielsen
Kalle Møller Nielsen
From Århus in Denmark, he has an outdoor education from Denmark, a Bachelor's degree in Arctic Outdoor recreation and Nature guiding from the University of Tromsø, and a certified Arctic Nature Guide from Svalbard. He has worked as a Nature guide on Svalbard, Greenland, and in the North of mainland Norway, this includes ski-expeditions, dogsledding, glaciers, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, ice fishing, and driving a boat. In his spare time, he is volunteering and sits on the board of Norsk Naturguide Forbund (Norwegian Nature Guide Association). He is also a Wilderness First Responder from NOLS.
He has a big passion for reading about polar expeditions and collecting old books.


Kalle Nielsen
Kalle Nielsen
Kalle is originally from Århus, Denmark and has a Bachelor degree in Arctic Outdoor recreation and nature guiding from the University of Tromsø. Kalle has also received the Arctic Nature Guide certification for Svalbard and has worked as a Nature guide in various destinations, including, Svalbard, Greenland, and in the North of Norway, during ski-expeditions, and activities such as dog sledding, glacier, hiking, kayak, snowshoeing, ice fishing and boat driving. In his spare time, Kalle is volunteering and sits in the board of Norsk Naturguide Forbund (Norwegian Nature Guide Association, while he is also a Wilderness First Responder at NOLS.
Kalle has a big passion for reading about polar expeditions and collecting old books about this subject.


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 Burke
Kevin Burke
Kevin Burke was born in Baffin Island in Canada’s arctic.
He spent his childhood in variouslocations in northern Canada, settling in Churchill, Manitoba, on the western shore of Hudson Bay.
Churchill is known as the polar bear capital of the world where Kevin has worked for over 30 years as a tour guide/bear guard.
Kevin has worked on several cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic in many capacities from expedition leader to lead zodiac driver.


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.


Laura Mony
Laura Mony
The ocean had always been part of Laura’s life. She started spending time on sailboats when she was a baby and she sailed around the world crossing several oceans when she was between 12 and 14 years old. That trip increased her passion for the ocean because she discovered its vastness and its importance on the earth’s dynamic. Born in France, she grew up in the French part of Canada where she did her bachelor’s degree in Geological Engineering. She became fascinated by the polar regions and wanted to continue her studies in that field. That is why, at the end of her degree, she left Canada for Tasmania, Australia, to do her Master's in Marine and Antarctic Science. Since 2018, she has been guiding in the polar region in both Antarctica and the Arctic.


Lisa Pettenuzzo
Lisa Pettenuzzo
Lisa has over 20 years’ experience in the polar regions through work adventures ranging from fishing, mining to tourism: commercial fishing King Salmon in the Bering Sea; navigating thru remote tundra across Canada’s Arctic gold prospecting; assisting mountaineering expeditions to summit Denali; working at a basecamp facilitating tourism and research below the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica.
In her personal time, she finds herself hiking though the Arctic mountain ranges, travelling to northern Siberia to learn the culture of the Evans Peoples, on surf expeditions on the coast of British Columbia and backcountry ski touring from her home in the Selkirk Mountains. She just completed a master’s degree in Polar Law, having studied in Iceland, Greenland and Norway. Topics included; Antarctic Law and Policy, Law of the Sea, Societies and Cultures in the Arctic, Maritime Industries and Resources Law, Arctic Development Economics.


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.


Luyang Zhao
Luyang Zhao
Born in Beijing, China, Luyang moved to Chile with his parents when he was still a teenager. He studied Cultural Tourism in the University and then got a MBA, but he discovered his true passions when he started working as a freelance translator and guide, showing people the amazing polar regions. Lu is really passionate about history of both Arctic and Antarctic. Luyang is fluent in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, and he prefers to be called “Lu”.


Magdalena Maas
Magdalena Maas
Meet Magdalena, an adventurous polyglot and explorer with an insatiable passion for travel and the great outdoors. Her global odyssey has led her to call Brazil, Costa Rica, the UAE, the UK, and the USA home, with each destination enriching her understanding of the world and becoming fluent in five languages along the way.
Since 2017 Magdalena has been navigating the world's oceans. Her roles in the Leadership Team, as Expedition Guide and skilled Zodiac Driver have allowed her to explore and appreciate our planet from unique maritime perspectives, fostering her deep connection to the environment and its diverse inhabitants.
A blend of Austrian serenity (Gemutlichkeit) and German precision - Magdalena's upbringing has equipped her with a harmonious approach to leadership. In her spare moments, you'll
find her shredding the slopes, catching waves, or conquering peaks. Magdalena's multilingual prowess, boundless enthusiasm for exploration, and love for adventure are the driving forces behind her role at Albatros Expeditions. Join her on unforgettable journeys to the world's most remote destinations, where you'll discover the true essence of exploration and responsible travel.


Marc Hébert
Marc Hébert
Marc had the itch for the great outdoors right from the start. He took a leap of faith over two decades ago to join this passion to his career and got an opportunity to start on the Athabasca glacier at the Columbia Icefield in 2000. From there doors have opened up and he was able to expand his experiences in many fields such as rafting, guiding dog sledding journeys and outings in the tundra of Churchill to find polar bears. He also had the privilege to work across the Arctic/Antarctic as a zodiac driver for many years.
Safety being a priority, Marc has been certified as a emergency medical responder with the Alberta college of Paramedic and has taking many courses such as crevasses rescue, swift white water rescue, avalanche awareness and other such certifications to implement prevention and care.


Mariam Pousa
Mariam Pousa
Mariam is a conservator of Cultural Heritage and originally from the coast of Ushuaia, Argentina. She has a Masters in Preservation of Artifacts from Nautical Archeology and a prolific background in History of exploration and preservation of the historical sites. A multitude of opportunities have allowed her to pursue her passion for exploring the wilderness herself, as well as working as scientist on the field. Growing in Ushuaia, surrounded by mountains and great nature, Mariam has developed a deep love for the mountains and nowadays also works as Mountaineering Instructor for Guide Trainees.
She is fluent in Spanish and English, understands French, and has worked as an expedition guide in the Patagonian Andes, and Chilean Fjords. Other expeditions have led her to the Alps, Central America Andes as well as working in logistics for adventure film crew in UK and Spain. During her spare time, Mariam is also an avid skiier and sports climber.


Marilia Olio
Marilia Olio
Marilia Olio has a Bachelor’s in Marine Biology and a Master’s degree in “Integrated Studies of the Oceans. She has worked for 7 years on research projects with marine mammals, on board vessels or land-based stations in Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Iceland. In 2013 she started working as a naturalist guide and researcher onboard whale watching boats in the Azores, Canada, Mexico and USA.
In 2017 she joined cruises ships on expeditions to polar regions and tropical areas.Marilia currently works as data manager for Happywhale. Working as a naturalist allows her to share her passion and knowledge with people who have the same interest as her. She is a whale geek. During her free time she enjoys to go whale watching, diving and hiking.


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.


Neill Drake
Neill Drake
Neill began his journey to becoming an Antarctica Expedition Guide in 2015 when he sailed as a passenger on a last minute whim. He immediately felt a connection with Antarctica and knew it couldn’t be a “once in a lifetime” trip. Maybe it has to do with his last name being Drake, and his commute to work is the Drake passage...but it most likely has to deal with his passion for creating content that will help breed a new generation of Antarctica Ambassadors that will be the voice of conservation of preservation in a time more voices need to be heard.
Drake, once exclusively a Photography guide has become a knowledgeable general naturalist.


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.


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.


Phillip Hunter
Phillip Hunter
Phil hails from Catalina Island in California. Having been exposed to life on the water at an early age, Phil followed a life-long passion and graduated with a degree in Marine Ecology from UC Santa Barbara. During his time in the university, Phil began working as a kayak guide at California’s Channel Islands National Park as a sea cave kayak guide and naturalist. From that instant he was hooked on the capacity to share the natural world around him with others. He stumbled upon expedition cruising world and began his first couple sea-going seasons in Southeast Alaska. He’s since worked for a number of seasons in Svalbard and the Antarctic Peninsula as a kayak master, lecturer, rifle handler, and zodiac driver.
Phil is an avid traveler outside of work and spends a lot of time on the road. In his opinion, time on the water is time well spent.


Pia Harboure
Pia Harboure
I'm a freelance photojournalist, photo instructor and expedition guide. For the last twelve years I've been working related to tourism around the world through my photographic practice. The multifaceted places I worked include the Dominican Republic, Chile, Andorra, Sri Lanka, the Patagonian region of my own country, Antarctica and the Arctic. In the last year and a half, I've been working exclusively in the polar regions, photo instructing, guiding and driving zodiacs. When on land I work in collaborative long-term documentary projects on
the spectrum of human-environmental right issues. I'm an outdoorsy passionate human being!


Pia Harboure
Pia Harboure
I'm a freelance photojournalist, photo instructor and expedition guide. For the last twelve years I've been working related to tourism around the world through my photographic practice. The multifaceted places I worked include the Dominican Republic, Chile, Andorra, Sri Lanka, the Patagonian region of my own country, Antarctica and the Arctic. In the last year and a half, I've been working exclusively in the polar regions, photo instructing, guiding and driving zodiacs. When on land I work in collaborative long-term documentary projects on
the spectrum of human-environmental right issues. I'm an outdoorsy passionate human being!


Rashidah Lim
Rashidah Lim
Rashidah graduated with a Degree in Accountancy from Nanyang Technological University and worked in KPMG. Afterwards, Rashidah decided to go the unconventional route and pursue her passion for dance, and has been working as a professional dance instructor and performer. She now has over 10 years of experience under her belt, and is often featured on national TV, newspapers and magazines. Rashidah was once selected to demonstrate some dance moves to the ex-President of Singapore, and be a leader in the introduction of Zumba, which has now grown to be one of the most popular form of exercise. She has in the past performed for renowned celebrities and brands such as Nike, Adidas and Sephora.
A keen interest in learning about different cultures, as well as gaining new experiences, has led Rashidah across the globe and allowed her to connect with people from various parts of the world. She discovered her love for polar regions, and has worked as an expedition guide in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica. Rashidah is tri-lingual in English, Chinese and Malay. She is positive and sociable, and enjoys meeting new people with a smile. When not on board one of our vessels she is busy selling our Polar voyages to agents in all of South East Asia.


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.


Sandra Petrowitz
Sandra Petrowitz
From early age, Sandra has been an avid naturalist, traveler and photographer. She is fluent in English and German, and has basic knowledge of a few other languages. Fueled by curiosity and a passion for exploring, her extensive journeys have led the committed semi-nomad across the globe to pursue her varied interests in all kinds of nature and wildlife observations.
She holds a degree in journalism and has been working as a journalist, editor and writer for 20+ years. Temporarily based in Germany, Sandra co-publishes a photo magazine, designs and leads dedicated photo trips worldwide and hosts photo workshops. In addition to these accomplishments, Sandra has published two books on photography.
When visiting the polar regions for the first time, she immediately fell for the high latitudes’ nature, beauty and light. Deeply moved, she answered the calling, and has since returned to the Arctic and Antarctica every season. Sandra has gleaned considerable experience as guide and naturalist, photo guide and Zodiac driver on various expedition cruises in Antarctica, Svalbard and East Greenland.


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.


Slava Nikitin
Slava Nikitin
Originally from Sergiev-Posad, in Russia, Slava studied in the Moscow University of Sports as a teacher of physical education, swimming teacher, rehabilitation, management of sports. Many of Slava’s shoes have been worn out in paths in Russia, Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, the Arctic and Antarctica, with 15 years of experience traveling the World as a photographer, writer, guide and translator. However, it was 2013 that defined his starting point in the cruise industry, when Slava had the opportunity to visit Antarctica on a sailboat. He then worked as an expedition guide in the Arctic and Antarctic Waters, peaking his interest for Polar History.
Known as photographer, travel writer, guide and translator in Russia, Slava often give lectures: How to travel the World, Under sails to Antarctic, Tierra del Fuego: journey on foot with a backpack, Wild life in Patagonia, How to survive in wild, Backpacker's life around the World, among other subjects.


Szymon Niezabitowski
Szymon Niezabitowski
Szymon was born in Cracow, Poland. He studied Biology and Geography in Cracow where he received his graduate degree in “Facility of Biology and Earth Sciences”. His final thesis was about Volcanic Soils in Iceland. After he finished his studies, he joined the Polish Academy of Sciences and worked for the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, where he was a keeper and researcher of exotic animals, and worked with Cotton-top Tamarin, Tarantulas, and Pythons. From the earliest years of his life, he is a passionate naturalist with a special interest in the geography and the wildlife of the higher latitudes especially in marine mammals. Szymon began guiding in the Arctic in 2016 on Spitsbergen where he fulfilled his dream to see his first Polar Bear since then he has been a fulltime guide working in the High Arctic, Antarctica, and North Norway where he is guiding snorkeling whale trips with Orca.


Tamsin Both
Tamsin Both
Tamsin was born and raised in London but in 2009 moved to Revelstoke, a small mountain town in British Columbia. She loves adventure and all things outdoors. A skier in the winter, a paddler, hiker and motorcyclist in the summer. Her passion for adventure has taken her motorcycling through the Himalayas solo, river boating down the Amazon, staying with the Head Hunter Tribe in Borneo and traveling over glaciers in Alaska to name a few. She loves to learn and is interested in self development, photography, playing music and meeting people from all different areas of the world. Tamsin worked in remote areas in backcountry helicopter skiing & hiking, fishing and eco lodges and has been working in the polar regions since 2019.


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.


Werner Kruse
Werner Kruse
Werner Kruse is a well-seasoned traveller and an experienced filmmaker, photographer and expedition guide. He has worked on numerous international productions and produced travel documentaries, including wildlife and expedition documentaries in Africa. His film, The Boy from the Wild, premiered at the Royal Geographic Society in London as well as the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York City. Currently the film is available on Amazon Prime Video.
After completing his studies he travelled extensively, making documentaries all over the world. He explored places such as Petra, Machu Picchu, Great Barrier Reef andRapa Nui, Spitsbergen, Iceland as well as his favourites, the Hawaiian and Tahitian Islands. He is currently based in Cape Town, South Africa, working on TV shows, documentaries, commercials and corporate productions. He frequently travels abroad for various video and photographic assignments.
Werner is extremely passionate about conservation, particularly wildlife and the ocean and supports various environmental causes. His work depicting Gentoo penguins in Antarctica was featured by National Geographic, and his annual return to Antarctica remains a highlight for him. His travels have taken him to 112 countries,
enabling him to capture a richly diverse spectrum images.


Wilson Cheung
Wilson Cheung
Meet Wilson (Wai-Yin) Cheung, an ambitious explorer and dedicated scientist with an unyielding passion for the unknown polar regions. His life's mission is to contribute significantly to scientific exploration and our understanding of the enigmatic polar realms. As the first Asian to devote his entire career to mapping and predicting glacial volume changes
in the future warmer and wetter Canadian High Arctic, Wilson has established himself as a prominent figure in the field.
Over the course of a remarkable ten-year polar expedition career, Wilson has taken a leading role in conducting and supporting numerous scientific projects, guiding expeditions under extreme conditions in high-latitude areas, and amassing over 1000 days of field experience in both the Arctic and Antarctic. His primary research focus centers on accurately estimating and actively monitoring glaciers' spatial distribution and temporal dynamics in the high Arctic.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to polar research and exploration, Wilson was honored as one of The Explorers Club's 50 Explorers Changing the World in 2022. He is also a
fellow of esteemed organizations such as the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). In addition, Wilson plays a crucial role in the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) as a co-chair committee member, empowering and guiding future generations of polar researchers.