Antarctic, Arctic and Beyond Expeditions
An Aurora expedition is literally Life. Changing.
You might have noticed we don’t call it a cruise, but an expedition.
Founded by legendary adventurer Greg Mortimer more than 30 years ago, our expert Expedition Team has always been about sharing their knowledge and understanding of some of the most remote and unspoiled destinations in Antarctica, the Arctic and beyond, because when you disembark we want you to be richer in your knowledge and more understanding of our planet than you were when you stepped aboard. To see our new ships and the many remote destinations we visit, download our latest brochure. Because if you want to see something you’ve never seen, you have to go somewhere you’ve never been.



Aurora Expeditions is a pioneering leader in polar expeditions with over 30 years of experience, specialising in small-group expeditions to the world’s most beautiful and remote destinations.
Why travel with Aurora Expeditions
Aurora Expeditions pioneered ship-based adventures with Antarctica cruises over 30 years ago and we remain committed to small, low-impact groups keen to not just see, but experience our range of remote destinations.
Health & Safety
Learn about our enhanced health and safety measures for your peace of mind.
Our expedition offers
Spirit of Antarctica
Expedition
Gallery The Greg Mortimer sailing through sea ice in Antarctica Hiking in the Snow in Antarctica, Stephen Anstee Curious crabeater …
12 Days
From USD $9,596.25/pp
Antarctic Explorer
Expedition
Antarctic Explorer AEP167S is a FLY/FLY expedition that skips the Drake completely. Please refer to our Contingency Plans for Fly/Sail …
11-13 Days
From USD $13,756.00/pp
South Georgia & Antarctic Odyssey
Expedition
This voyage encompasses the best of the Antarctic Peninsula and the enchanting wildlife haven of South Georgia. Discover the historic …
20-21 Days
From USD $20,876.00/pp
Across the Antarctic Circle
Expedition
Looking to skip the Drake Passage? Please refer to Aurora Expeditions Contingency Plans for Fly/Sail expeditions. Fly/Sail expeditions: ANC009s Gallery …
13-15 Days
From USD $12,956.00/pp
Antarctica Complete
Expedition
Gallery King penguins © S.Denzel Fur seal pup © L.Bath Looking down on the world © J.Paul Add sea kayaking …
23 Days
From USD $24,050.75/pp
Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula
Expedition
Gallery Elephant seal pups in South Georgia © M.Baynes Hike to fabulous vantage points King penguins on the march Add …
21 Days
From USD $18,221.25/pp
Our expedition team
- Expedition Leaders
- Expedition Specialists
- Expedition Guides
- Activity Guides
- Head Office
- Ship Doctors & Expedition Medics

Christophe Bouchoux
Expedition Leader
Christophe is an experienced Expedition Leader and guide, who has worked on expedition ships all over the world. While his peers were in school, Christophe was busy gaining a global education travelling the world. Instead of maths or science, nature became his main source of wonderment. He spent an incredible 17 years exploring iconic and remote destinations, gaining invaluable experience in the tourism industry. Most comfortable in the polar regions, he worked as a guide in Finnish Lapland for seven winters and a tour bus guide in Norway for a decade, before discovering expedition cruising in Svalbard. To this day, he considers Svalbard his favourite destination, on account of its incredible diversity of wildlife and landscapes and because it still manages to surprise him.
On expeditions, Christophe encourages expeditioners to forget about any daily program they have been given, and to trust our Expedition Team and let nature decide what will happen. He is particularly skilled at explaining difficult scientific concepts in everyday language, which makes him a passenger favourite and huge asset to your Aurora expedition.

Mario Placidi Spring
Expedition Leader
Mario is an experienced Historian, Naturalist, Firearms Master and Expedition Leader, who has worked in the polar regions for almost a decade. He attributes his passion for adventure and the natural world to his father, who introduced him to skiing and mountaineering at an early age. Setting his sights sky high, he decided to study Aerospace Engineering, but after graduating his need for adventure and exploration inspired him to take a different path. In 2014, he moved to Longyearbyen in Svalbard to become an Arctic Nature Guide. After attaining his qualification, he guided ski expeditions in the Norwegian archipelago before discovering expedition cruising in 2015. Since then, he has shared his time between the Arctic and Antarctica.
Mario is fully devoted to the best and safest outcome for expeditioners, and relishes seeing them realise their dreams. On expeditions, he encourages everyone to be open to whatever these incredible places offer, and to embrace the fact that not everything is under our control and should be experienced as an adventure, just like the early explorers did.
Mario's favourite destinations include Svalbard for its incredible wildlife, and Greenland for its incredible views, huge mountains and majestic fjords.

Jean-Pierre Els
Expedition Team Operations Manager / Assistant Expedition Leader
Languages: English (Native), Afrikaans (Fluent)
What started out as a hobby working as a Photography Guide on whale watching and shark cage diving boats quickly progressed into a career after Jean-Pierre had the opportunity to work as a Divemaster on the Sardine Run off the Wild Coast of South Africa, known as The Greatest Shoal on Earth. Jean-Pierre Els qualified as a PADI Divemaster and Surf Launching Skipper in 2011 for the Sardine Run and this trip ignited an existing passion for wildlife and having a whole new world to explore. He was employed as a resident Divemaster and Skipper shortly after, specialising in shark diving and launching in surf as well as the Team Leader on the annual Sardine Run. As the Team Leader, Jean-Pierre was responsible for the setup of an offsite base, logistical planning and managing of the daily operations, team duties and coordinating water activities for the boats out on the water each season including coordination of the air support team.
Jean-Pierre was a General Manager of Zavora Lodge, a Dive Resort in Mozambique before he committed all his time to expedition cruising from December 2016 onwards. He worked as an Expedition Leader, Divemaster, Zodiac Driver and Naturalist from the Arctic to the Antarctic and the tropics in between. As an Expedition Leader, he lead teams of expedition experts in remote locations all around the world. Jean-Pierre feels privileged to have had the opportunity to lead or work on expeditions and dive trips in 57 countries and numerous destinations on every continent and ocean around our beautiful planet. In his Divemaster role, he designs tailored dive and snorkel programs, including operations management in leading intricate dive and snorkel programs for private charters as well as large commercial groups operating from land or onboard boats and larger vessels. Working as a Water Sports and Surface Activity Coordinator in the Seychelles and Adriatic Sea, he was responsible for establishing the onboard operations, crew training, schedules, logistics and development of SOP’s for a newly launched expedition vessel.
As the Expedition Team Manager at Aurora Expeditions, Jean-Pierre (JP) has a key role in building professional relationships and allocating expedition team members to Aurora Expeditions' programs. JP also works with the Operations department and Expedition Team to ensure all our team members are suitably qualified and hold relevant proficiencies. Coordinating the Citizen Science Program, Aurora Expeditions' training activities and special projects along the way, ensures Aurora Expeditions delivers the trip of a lifetime to our passengers.

Dr Liz Pope
Expedition Leader & Operations Manager
With years of leading groups and travelling up her sleeve, Liz is always happy to help make your voyage the best it can possibly be! Having grown up in three different countries (the Philippines, USA and Australia), Liz caught the travel bug at an early age. Since then she has travelled widely throughout Australia, New Zealand, India, Vietnam, Nepal, Mexico, Europe, and Africa.
After finishing her PhD in Microbiology, Liz found herself leading overland safaris throughout Eastern and Southern Africa; and later managing a lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. On returning to Australia, Liz satisfied her interest in conservation education and animals working at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo as an education officer for their ‘Roar & Snore’ program. Liz has also had a parallel career in the areas of medical communications, management and human resources.
Liz has been working with Aurora Expeditions in Antarctica since 2009-2010, as well as completing several seasons in the European Arctic. Liz has also worked on ship-based expeditions in Papua New Guinea, Scotland, the North-West Passage, Alaska’s Inside Passage, Far East Russia and the Kuril Islands.
In her role as an expedition guide and leader, she is particularly thrilled to be able to combine her curiosity of the natural world and her passion for sharing it with others.
Liz also works at the Aurora Expeditions head office as Operations Manager where she is accountable and/or responsible for matters relating to vessel deployments and expedition operations.

Florence Kuyper
Expedition Leader
Expedition: Northwest Passage
Language: Dutch (Native) English (Fluent), French (Fluent)
After receiving her Masters degree in Educational Psychology in the Netherlands, Florence had a long career as a consultant-manager in the field of social affairs. Fluent in french, she is a cosmopolitan with a passion for deserts, history and nomadic people around the globe.
In 2004, she went for the first time to the big white desert; Antarctica, and her passion for this continent has drawn her back ‘South’ ever since. But Florence can also do extreme heat: she crossed 1,200 km of Mongolian desert on foot, together with a team and her Bactrian camel.
Florence also works on sailing yachts in the Arctic and Antarctica. She was Base Leader at Port Lockroy, a British historical base on the Antarctic Peninsula. Florence has worked in both polar regions since 2012 and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and unlimited passion for the polar regions with you, especially in the field of history.

Anne Oyasaeter
Onboard Expedition Manager
Expedition: Northwest Passage
Anne arrived from Norway to Australia in 1987 and after a few years of doing odd jobs such as working in racing stables, cafes and a taxi-radio room, she began a job in travel at an agency specialising in Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, Russia, the Baltic's and Antarctica. Anne soon realized this was the perfect job for her and stayed there for 12 years. During this time she travelled extensively through Scandinavia as well as trips to Iceland, Greenland and Antarctica. Highlights (apart from any trip to Norway of course) was a two-week cruise to Antarctica from Puerto Mondt to Ushuaia and an eight-day cruise to Greenland around Disco Bay on the west coast.
After taking a break from working life to look after her fantastic son Olav and beloved dogs/pets, she joined Aurora Expeditions in the Sydney office and loved working across their products. But before too long, Norway was calling Anne home and she is thrilled to still be involved with Aurora and assisting with all things Arctic and beyond.
In her spare time Anne enjoys family life, great friends, a good book, food and wine and is always looking forward to her next trip away!

Jamie Lafferty
Photography Guide
With a passion for exploring the world and capturing its beauty through his lens, Jamie is a talented Writer and Photographer hailing from Scotland. He has visited all seven continents and over 50 countries, and earned the 2020 Consumer Travel Writer of the Year award. Jamie’s work has been featured in prestigious publications including the New York Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, National Geographic Traveller, Outside and Financial Times. He has journeyed to Antarctica eight times, spent a week in Svalbard while a horror film was being shot, and has stories to tell from just about everywhere in between. His favourite destination so far is South Georgia for its extraordinary history and unpredictable nature.
Always funny and invariably poignant, make time hear some of Jamie’s tales on your expedition, and learn a trick or two on capturing your best photos in his photography lectures.

Hans Bruning
Naturalist & Expedition Medic
Hans has over three decades’ experience working as an Expedition Guide, Kayak Guide, Medic, Captain and Environmental Educator. He attributes being raised in Phoenix, a city in the in the middle of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, to his fascination with water. It started with raising tropical fish as a child, then scuba diving as a teen, and has continued to strengthen throughout his life. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology, he worked as a scientist on research vessels in the North Atlantic and Caribbean, kayak guiding between stints in Mexico. He then attained his Captain’s License and captained research and small passenger vessels in Central California and Alaska, which he still counts as his favourite destination. Hans is addicted to exploring different ecosystems, and understanding the inter-relationships that exist. He maintains that the more he learns, the less he knows.
On expeditions, Hans has some sound advice for expeditioners: "Observe and be in the moment. Get rid of your pre-conceived ideas of how nature works and attempt to formulate for yourself a narrative of what you are observing and experiencing. Appreciate the little things, for they are the reason the big things exist."

Melina Pelzmajer
Geologist
Growing up near the Argentinian Andes, the magnificent volcanoes and landscapes surrounding Melina inspired her passion for nature from a young age. She went on to study Geological Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, driven by a fascination in the development of these landscapes and their histories. Melina has participated in numerous field surveys and worked in research stations in some of the most remote places on earth. She believes that travelling to these pristine and fragile ecosystems is a unique and powerful means of spreading awareness about the importance of protecting them. Her favourite destinations are Antarctica and South Georgia, where you can witness nature at its best.
Onboard, Melina encourages expeditioners to be aware of where they are and, instead of taking pictures and filming, to take some time out to watch and listen to your surroundings. She thrives on sharing her passion for the natural world and her deep Antarctic knowledge with expeditioners.

Alasdair McGregor
Naturalist & Historian
Alasdair is a Sydney-based painter, writer and historian, who has enjoyed a love of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean spanning more than 30 years.
Alasdair’s contact with the region began on the 1983 Heard Island Expedition – his first big adventure – in which he played a supporting role in the second only ascent of 3000-metre Big Ben, the active volcano that dominates the island. Two voyages with the Australian Antarctic Division's Humanities Program followed in the next couple of years.
In the late 1990s, Alasdair was the artist and photographer for two Mawson’s Huts Foundation summer conservation expeditions to Cape Denison, then in 1999 Alasdair staged Mawson’s Antarctica: A view from the huts, a major exhibition of his Antarctic paintings and photographs. In 2000, Alasdair curated the Australian High Commission to Canada's photographic exhibition, '… that sweep of savage splendour': A Century of Australians in Antarctica.
Alasdair has published three books with Antarctic themes: Mawson’s Huts: An Antarctic Expedition Journal (1999); Antarctica: that sweep of savage splendour (collected writings – editor 2011); and a biography of the renowned polar photographer Frank Hurley: A photographer’s life (2004). His other books include Grand Obsessions: The life and work of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, winner of the 2011 National Biography Award.
Away from Antarctica, Alasdair writes regularly for Australian Geographic and his research and creative interests range over architecture and design, natural history, and the history of exploration.
Alasdair has worked as a lecturer on tourist voyages to Antarctica since 2005, and has been a keen member of Aurora Expeditions’ Antarctic expedition team since 2012.

Birgitta Mueck
Naturalist
Born and raised on Orust, an island off the Swedish west coast, Birgitta Mueck naturally gained a big passion for the ocean and its inhabitants. From a very young age the underwater life became an important part of her own life.
Her strong passion for nature and wilderness led Birgitta to an education in wilderness tourism and nature photography. Since graduating, she has spent the majority of her time in the field as an underwater camera operator working on natural history productions for national television.
Together with her father, Armin, and sister, Nanna, they run Crystal Water Film Production, a Swedish film company that produces underwater films in collaboration mainly with Swedish National Television (SVT) and Norwegian National Television (NRK). Birgitta is an experienced diver, a certified PADI Divemaster and PADI AmbassaDiver. She has been operating as an underwater camera operator in multiple television productions. To name a few, Birgitta’s most recently worked on “Winter Whales of Norway”, dedicated to orcas and humpbacks in Northern Norway and “Life Against All Odds”, highlighting the importance of protecting underwater areas, which includes footage from Scandinavia, Azores and the Mediterranean.
When Birgitta is not on an expedition, she lives on a sailing boat while capturing the marine life on film and still pictures, both in the warm tropical waters and in the cold Arctic.

Carol Knott
Historian
Carol’s passion for archaeology began with rescue excavations of medieval English towns, ports, churches and castles. After receiving a Masters degree in Archaeology and History from the University of Glasgow, she continued this work with investigation of some of the great medieval abbeys, palaces and gardens of England. In 1988 she returned to her native Scotland, and since then has lived and worked amongst the windswept islands of the Outer Hebrides, with field researches focused on ‘the archaeology of survival’ - the study of remote communities and deserted places.
Until 2012, Carol also worked for the National Trust for Scotland as archaeologist for St Kilda, helping to understand and preserve the unique heritage of this World Heritage site.
She also travels worldwide and in the polar regions as a guide and lecturer on expedition ships, including to Svalbard, Greenland and extensively to Antarctica, where she has found a second home under canvas on the ice cap.

Tamsin Both
Expedition Guide
Tamsin has spent her life working in the most wild and remote places on earth – surrounded by clouds in mountain ranges, in remote floating lodges on the coast, and on islands in vast lake systems. She feels privileged to work as a polar Expedition Guide, spending time in awe-inspiring environments that only the most adventurous travellers get to experience. Tamsin thrives on the fast pace of the expedition cruises, waking up in a different destination every day, and working with a world-class and dynamic Expedition Team that is always helping her grow skills and knowledge.
Onboard, Tamsin encourages expeditioners to get outside on the outer decks as much as possible and make every minute count! She firmly believes that Antarctica is the most rare, wild and unspoilt place on the planet, and loves helping expeditioners get the most out of their time there.
Piotr Damski
Assistant Expedition Leader, Local Guide, Expedition Medic
Expedition: Svalbard Odyssey Jewels of the Arctic

Piotr Damski
Assistant Expedition Leader, Local Guide, Expedition Medic
Expedition: Svalbard Odyssey Jewels of the Arctic
Meet Piotr, a fearless adventurer who has been exploring the world since the age of 18. His love for raw Arctic landscapes, rich personal histories and unique wildlife led him to venture to the Arctic Circle in 2014, where he worked as a musher in Svalbard, caring for 100 polar dogs and guiding people around the archipelago. Living remotely without running water, he developed a unique skill set to guide, tell stories and share his knowledge about the Arctic. Piotr is now working between Iceland and Greenland, studying a Masters in Arctic Tourism and leading dog sledding, kayaking, and hiking trips.
With his emergency rescue outdoor training and ability to deal with harsh and challenging conditions, Piotr ensures that his passengers are in safe hands while having unforgettable adventures. He encourages expeditioners to live the slow Arctic life, which is a grounding and levelling experience.

Zhenhuan (Darwin) Zhang
Mandarin Speaking Expedition Guide
After completing her BSc in Biological Sciences and M.Eng. in Biological Medicine Engineering, Zhenhuan is currently reading for DPhil Zoology at Edward Grey Institute for Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. She studies Ethno-Ornithology, mainly focusing on the relationship between human culture and bird diversity.
Zhenhuan likes bird watching and all kinds of activities related to wildlife protection. She has been to Antarctica twice and loves this frozen land deeply. “Antarctica is a world isolated from all other continents where humans live and it has the power to transform itself”.
This is the first season working with Aurora Expeditions and Zhenhuan joins our new vessel as an experienced Mandarin Speaking Expedition Guide.

Haining Wang 王海宁
Mandarin Speaking Expedition Guide (探险队员/讲师)
Haining hails from China but has grown up in many places. He loves outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking, and enjoys reading adventure stories since childhood.
He joined Chinese Antarctica Research Expedition (CHINARE) in 2004 and stayed at Zhongshan station (69°22’S) for one winter season and two summer seasons doing science research. His science projects include Upper Atmosphere Research, Geomagnetic and Sea Ice research. During the Antarctic winter days, he enjoyed observing emperor penguins, Weddell seals and skuas as well as camping and hiking in Larsemann Hills. He then got E.E. Master’s degree and joined multinational companies to pursue a business career.
He is a world traveller and particularly loves glaciers and the aurora borealis. Since 2016, Haining began to work part-time as a polar guide in Antarctica and Arctic regions. Haining has a publishing workshop focusing on polar books translation and publishing. He also provides consulting services to local tour agencies.
Haining is joining Aurora Expeditions' new ship, M/V Greg Mortimer during its maiden season in Antarctica in a role of a cultural guide to assist our Mandarin speaking guests in discovering the wonders of the Frozen Continent.
王海宁,探险队员。海宁来自中国大陆,在多个城市生活。从小喜爱各类户外活动包括徒步,皮划艇以及阅读探险故事。2004年加入中国南极考察队,在南纬69度的中山站连度过一个冬季两个夏季进行科学考察,独立负责高空大气物理观测,并参与地磁观测和海冰观测。在南极冬天的日子里,海宁的业余爱好是观察帝企鹅,威德尔海豹和贼鸥,并热衷于在拉斯曼丘陵地带进行露营和徒步探险。在取得电子工程硕士之后,他加入国际公司追寻商业职业发展。海宁一直热爱环球旅行,尤其热爱冰川和极光。从2016年起,他开始成为南极和北极的极地向导。2018年初海宁拥有自己的专注极地书籍引进与翻译的图书工作室,并为国内的旅行公司提供极地咨询顾问。

Bettina Ovgaard
Regional Expert
Bettina first worked as a guide in South Greenland back in 1999. Little did she know how much of a profound influence this would have on her life! Over the next 11 years, she explored a land rich in polar exploration and Inuit tribe history, Danish colonialism and the foreign military presence of modern times. In 2017, Bettina joined the Civil Military Cooperation section of Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk, which is the operative division of the Danish Defence in the Arctic. She feels most connected to the Greenlandic way of life when sailing, visiting traditional settlements and pristine landscapes rich with endemic wildlife. She loves how Aurora's Expedition Team strive to make every voyage unforgettable, and have the ability to turn a group of like-minded strangers into a family.
On expeditions, she encourages expeditioners to use all of their senses: "The eyes will never disappoint you because the vistas are so spectacular in the destinations we visit, but just as intriguing is the smell of herbs in tundra, the taste of a mountain sorrel or the feel of a piece of glacier ice smoothened by the sea".
Join Bettina on Northern Lights Explorer (NLE001G), departing 1 September 2023.

Lelia Cataldi
Expedition Guide
Lelia was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Tourism, she earned a scholarship at Eichstätt University in Germany to continue her specialisation in Geography. She then became a guide of Los Glaciares National Park and recently she finished an MBA in Hotel Management in Buenos Aires.
Lelia has worked and lived for 10 years in front of the breathtaking view of the Perito Moreno Glacier, in Southern Patagonia. There she is dedicated to high quality tourism, providing guests with a unique experience in close contact with nature. She loves sharing her wide knowledge and love of the National Park and surrounding areas with passion.
She takes great delight in working outdoors and helping others to enjoy and discover nature, especially if it is about South America! Lelia will make you feel and live the culture of any place she visits, tasting new flavours, admiring landscape and nature. At the same time she will provide you with cultural tips and information that will make all the difference in your trip. She will definitely guide you to make the most out of your destination.

Ivan Klochkov
Kayak Guide
Growing up in Moscow with adventure-loving parents, Ivan was kayaking and hiking by age six! He accompanied his parents on all kinds of outdoor adventures, from kayaking through the wild Kamchatka peninsula to hiking in Nepal and Turkey. After studying hospitality management for several years, he finally decided to follow his true passion and has been working as a Kayak Guide for the last five years in some of the most wild and remote places on earth.
Ivan's extensive experience kayaking, along with his contagious energy and enthusiasm, combine to make him a huge asset to our Expedition Team who relishes helping expeditioners develop their skills while having unforgettable experiences in the beautiful destinations we visit. He believes that the polar regions attract special people, and relishes helping expeditioners test their limits!

Ania Baranek
Expedition Team Coordinator & Snorkel Guide
Ania became fascinated by the idea of travelling when she saw her first Lonely Planet episode on the Discovery Channel as a teenager. She has dreamt about combining her passion for travelling with an inspiring job ever since.
The urge to explore the world prompted her to study foreign languages, specialising in Spanish and English linguistics at university. She has lived in Poland, Spain and Canada, working as a translator, language teacher, city guide and tour leader in her home town of Krakow, Poland.
After leading a semi-nomadic life for several years, which included road trips through the Rocky Mountains, West Coast of the United States and the Australian Outback, she decided to settle in Sydney, trading her beloved Polish mountains for the Australian sun and Pacific Ocean.
She decided to pursue the job opportunity at Aurora Expeditions after she found out that it was founded by Greg Mortimer, the first Australian to climb Mount Everest. The spirit of adventure Aurora was founded on resonated with her own need for adventure.
After working in our Sydney office as the Expedition Team Coordinator for over six years, Ania joined the Expedition Team as a Snorkel Guide. Whether onboard or in the office, she loves working with like-minded people, whose personal achievements and inspiring lifestyles are living proof that dreams can come true.
Outside work, Ania lives and breathes the great outdoors. She’s a certified SCUBA Divemaster, a keen snowboarder and runner. She enjoys MTB riding in the Snowy Mountains and hiking the infinite national park trails around Australia. She also writes a Polish blog about Australia.

Jane Morris
Climbing Guide
Jane is an IFMGA qualified mountain and ski guide based in the South Island of New Zealand. She began trawling around the mountains during her time at Otago University, where mountain huts were an excellent substitute for lecture theatres.
Prior to guiding full time she worked a number of years in outdoor related industries including ski patrolling in NZ and the USA; as an outdoor instructor in Scotland and for Outward Bound NZ, and as part of the Aoraki Rescue Team based in Mount Cook Village, New Zealand.
During a 5 year nomadic work-travel stint around the globe she spent three months in a tent living at Patriot Hills, in the Antarctic Interior. Her memory numbed by the cold, she went back for a second season, and visited the South Pole with a crew of astronauts.
She speaks Japanese, has a side line interest in Plant Based Nutrition, and finds the simplicity and awe of life in the mountains a very fulfilling and humbling place to be.

Edwin Sargeant
Snorkelling & Diving Guide
Edwin is an avid outdoor enthusiast with a passion for all activities based on, in and under water.
He’s an Australian currently living in Arizona, USA.
Edwin is an experienced polar ice diver, he holds many diving certifications with several agencies, including: Divemaster, Master Scuba Diver, deep diver and extended range river, rescue diver, gas blender, Trimix, DPV, and emergency oxygen provider. Edwin has been a certified diver since 1986 and has dived in the polar regions with Aurora Expeditions aboard the Polar Pioneer, where his love affair with the polar regions started.
Outside his passion for water activities, Edwin is also a helicopter pilot and an entrepreneur. He has successfully started and managed several start-up companies from inception to multinational status. Edwin has a Master’s degree in Management from Macquarie University in Sydney and has worked in the commercial lighting industry for over 30 years.

Alex Chavanne
Kayaking Guide
Alex was born and raised in Northern California, an area wilder and closer to nature (and colder!) than most imagine. Since he could hold his head up, he was seated in a kayak, eventually beginning to lead tours off the rough and rocky Santa Cruz coastline after graduating from the University of California.
Spending his entire youth climbing and skiing the Sierra’s, surfing, kayaking and boating off the coast, and travelling the world with his parents led him comfortably into a life of guiding. His education in earth sciences at the university inspired an environmentalist attitude, as well as a research-based approach to science and learning. Working among scientists and leading experts has allowed him to make friends with and learn from some of the brightest and enthusiastic members of the industry since the start, and inspired a passion for the birdlife and lichen ecology of the polar regions.
After beginning work with a world-class surf kayaker in Santa Cruz, Alex has travelled the world, continuously challenging himself in and out of a kayak. Guiding month long kayak trips in the Patagonian Fiords, paddling the deceivingly tricky and frigid waters of the Pacific Northwest, and providing hands-on logistical support for whole-season scientific field trips in the High Arctic, among others have provided lessons and experience in leadership and wilderness conduct.
Although these skills are useful for guiding work in polar regions, they also transfer well to Alex’s personal life. When not guiding, he can be found climbing, paddling, skiing and fishing around the Lofoten Islands which he calls home.

Bronwen Waters
Climbing Guide
Bronwen is an NZMGA assistant ski guide and lives on the South Island of New Zealand. A trip to Nepal in her teen years created a lifelong love of mountains and the art of travelling through them.
She began her pathway into the winter guiding profession through years of ski patrolling in New Zealand, Canada and Norway. She now spends time in both hemisphere's winters, ski guiding and teaching avalanche courses in New Zealand and Japan.
When not on her skis, Bronwen works as a trekking guide. She has guided in Nepal, Mongolia, Bhutan, and on Mt Kilimanjaro. She has also completed a traverse of the New Zealand Southern Alps over three months.
Currently Bronwen's favourite place to go on holiday is…New Zealand! With many skiing, climbing and tramping trips constantly on the plan…as well as running the hills close to her home.

Michael Heath
Chief Executive Officer
Michael is an experienced CEO with more than 25 years of experience successfully building and managing global international sports brands including Nike, Hurley, O’Neill and Surf Hardware International. His passion for the outdoors, the environment and surfing make for a great fit culturally with Aurora as well as his extensive global experience marketing to adventure focused consumers.

Mick Mag
Chief Financial Officer
After completing university, Mick hopped on the well-worn Kangaroo route to the UK which ignited a life-long love of travel. Mick has backpacked extensively across most of Europe and visited many parts of Asia, North and South America and the Pacific Islands and has spent time living and working in London and Dublin. A trip to Antarctica remains elusive but hopefully he’s found himself at the right place to get the opportunity sometime in the future.
Mick has over 17 years’ experience in the travel industry having tried to weave a path that mixes his love of travel with his practical accounting qualifications! When he’s not in the office Mick is an avid lover of most sports and will be found playing or watching pretty much any game. Growing up in a camping family Mick also enjoys getting away from it all and getting out into the countryside or down to a beach, especially with his two young sons.

Carolyn Wiseman
Head of People, Culture and Expedition Team
When Carolyn hit the backpacker trail straight out of high school it was the start of a 10-year adventure that saw her swim in the Dead Sea, sail down the Nile in a Felucca, and complete her Australian pilgrimage to Gallipoli in Turkey. The travel bug certainly bit hard: she's now traversed all seven continents, often with her UK husband and kids in tow.
Based on Sydney's northern beaches, Carolyn spent a decade overseeing the HR function at Surf Life Saving NSW before joining Aurora Expeditions. She's a true 'people person' who thrives on developing meaningful relationships and helping others succeed and grow. She's the person who ensures your expedition team is highly skilled, supremely qualified and dedicated to creating magical moments.

Hayley Peacock-Gower
Chief Marketing Officer
Deeply passionate about working for purpose-driven companies committed to respecting the majestic beauty of our planet, Hayley Peacock-Gower and Aurora Expeditions are a perfect fit. With more than 20 years experience in strategic branding, marketing and media for an array of iconic Australian and global brands—such as Canon, Earth Hour | WWF, QANTAS, News Corp, Fairfax Media, Hong Kong Tourism Board, CommSec and PayPal, among others.
Hayley is passionate about championing Aurora Expeditions’ perspective altering experiences that change people’s lives and believes the best outcomes in expedition travel are best achieved with an ongoing commitment to bold, dynamic and active environmental initiatives.
With a lifelong obsession for nature and the ocean, Hayley is always on the lookout for the perfect sunrise.

Lisa Bertini
VP - Sales North America
Sitting in the grass while looking into the eyes of a gorilla. Floating around a river bend while being greeted with the sounds of energetic chanting from New Guinea tribesmen. Spotting the red-flared tails of a Bird of Paradise mating ritual.
These are just a few reasons why Lisa has spent 25 years in travel. After graduating from the University of Washington, Lisa immediately went to work as a copywriter for Society Expeditions, a Seattle-based expedition cruise company.
From there she moved into public relations and advertising handling travel-related accounts such as Holland America and Westmark Hotels. She then spent the next 15 years at Virtuoso, the industry’s leading leisure travel network handling marketing and later cruise sales.
She moved to the supplier side in 2013 joining Zegrahm Expeditions as the Director of Sales responsible for developing revenue with outside sales channels including retail travel agents. She moved from expedition cruises to exotic land experiences when she joined the fabled 261-year-old tour operator, Cox & Kings, The Americas in 2017.
Lisa couldn’t be happier getting back into small-ship cruising and joining Aurora Expeditions in January 2020. One of the most favorite and rewarding aspects of her job is developing strong personal relationships within the travel advisor community.
When Lisa isn’t building the Aurora Expeditions' brand in North America, you can find her working on mosaics and gardening at her home on Whidbey Island in Washington State.

Jos Dewing
Managing Director - UK
A leader in small-ship and destination led travel, Jos has 20+ years of experience in the industry, most recently as Global Managing Director for discovery cruise and tour company, Voyages to Antiquity.
Jos also spent many years managing the Antarctica product for heritage lines Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic.
Jos is passionate about the environment and those authentic travel experiences that connect us with the real world that we inhabit and that also serve to educate our protection of it.
Jos grew up by the sea with a professional scuba diver father who instilled a great passion for the ocean and its diverse ocean life. A passion that has now settled firmly with expedition cruising, a topic on which Jos has widely consulted and written many articles.
Outside of work, Jos enjoys trekking with his golden retriever and exploring the UK coastline by kayak. He has also written and published a children’s book and played a double for Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies.

Hans Bruning
Naturalist & Expedition Medic
Hans has over three decades’ experience working as an Expedition Guide, Kayak Guide, Medic, Captain and Environmental Educator. He attributes being raised in Phoenix, a city in the in the middle of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, to his fascination with water. It started with raising tropical fish as a child, then scuba diving as a teen, and has continued to strengthen throughout his life. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology, he worked as a scientist on research vessels in the North Atlantic and Caribbean, kayak guiding between stints in Mexico. He then attained his Captain’s License and captained research and small passenger vessels in Central California and Alaska, which he still counts as his favourite destination. Hans is addicted to exploring different ecosystems, and understanding the inter-relationships that exist. He maintains that the more he learns, the less he knows.
On expeditions, Hans has some sound advice for expeditioners: "Observe and be in the moment. Get rid of your pre-conceived ideas of how nature works and attempt to formulate for yourself a narrative of what you are observing and experiencing. Appreciate the little things, for they are the reason the big things exist."
Piotr Damski
Assistant Expedition Leader, Local Guide, Expedition Medic
Expedition: Svalbard Odyssey Jewels of the Arctic

Piotr Damski
Assistant Expedition Leader, Local Guide, Expedition Medic
Expedition: Svalbard Odyssey Jewels of the Arctic
Meet Piotr, a fearless adventurer who has been exploring the world since the age of 18. His love for raw Arctic landscapes, rich personal histories and unique wildlife led him to venture to the Arctic Circle in 2014, where he worked as a musher in Svalbard, caring for 100 polar dogs and guiding people around the archipelago. Living remotely without running water, he developed a unique skill set to guide, tell stories and share his knowledge about the Arctic. Piotr is now working between Iceland and Greenland, studying a Masters in Arctic Tourism and leading dog sledding, kayaking, and hiking trips.
With his emergency rescue outdoor training and ability to deal with harsh and challenging conditions, Piotr ensures that his passengers are in safe hands while having unforgettable adventures. He encourages expeditioners to live the slow Arctic life, which is a grounding and levelling experience.

David Palmer
Expedition Medic
Expedition: Iceland Circumnavigation
Languages: English (Native), German (Limited), Spanish (Limited)
David has been with the fire service for the past 25 years, training and working as a medical first responder. For him, coming to people’s aid in an emergency can be extremely challenging but also incredibly rewarding. He has been fortunate enough to have spent two years working at three different research stations in Antarctica. During his stint at a research station at the South Pole, he had the opportunity to work alongside research scientists and explore the Ross Sea, the world’s largest marine protected area.
His favourite destination is South Georgia for its grand mountains and abundant wildlife, its historic whaling stations frozen in time and its history of exploration. He reminds expeditioners not to miss the opportunity to do a polar plunge. They are a blast – always a mix of apprehension and jubilation!

Russell Henry
Kayak Guide, Expedition Medic
Expedition: Northwest Passage
Russell grew up in a sea kayaking family on the rugged west coast of Canada with parents that pushed him and his brother to get out there and challenge themselves. He tries his best to do this on a regular basis, which has led him to have some truly incredible experiences in even more incredible places around the globe.
For the last decade, Russell has spent the winters working as a ski patroller in British Columbia, the summers guiding and being an outdoor educator, while pulling off some seriously large-scale expeditions in between – the most impressive of these being a sea kayak adventure from Brazil to Florida with his brother when he was only 19, which spanned 6,500-kilometres and seven months.
Russell has recently shifted gears in life and become a paramedic with the British Columbia Ambulance Service. While working part-time, he still manages to maintain his passion for the outdoors through guiding and exploring the world's mountains, rivers and oceans whenever possible.
Onboard, he encourages expeditioners to get to know the Expedition Team, because you can learn so much from them and are bound to have a good laugh!
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Sustainability in Action
We have an ongoing commitment to responsible, respectful travel. Aurora was one of the first operators to become an IAATO & AECO member, we take our responsibility seriously. We are curious, we are passionate. We care about reducing our footprint environmentally. We are taking real actions for the care of the planet. We are doing MORE to help make a positive impact on the planet.