Antarctic, Arctic and Beyond Expeditions

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."

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 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.

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’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.

Chris grew up amongst the mountains, forests, rivers and coast of his beloved New Zealand; hiking, climbing and skiing in the Southern Alps and travelling around in boats. After studying protected area management in New Zealand and a post-graduate degree in Australia, Chris has taught natural resource management at a First Nation tertiary college in the Northern Territory. After returning to New Zealand, he had an ecological restoration business; worked for the New Zealand Department of Conservation; and for a decade was a manager and environmental advocate with a prominent New Zealand conservation NGO.

Chris has spent the last four years as a guide, lecturer and Zodiac driver in the Arctic (Russian Far East), New Zealand and Australian Subantarctic Islands, and in Antarctica. He loves sharing his passion for wildlife and wild places, botany, nature conservation and history.

When not on ships, Chris does remote field work with the New Zealand Department of Conservation and works as a hiking guide around the South Island. He has also worked as a volunteer in Nepal, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

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.

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. 

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 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 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 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.

Adrian is a world-renowned action and adventure photographer who specialises in photographing the wildlife and landscapes of the polar regions while being immersed in the planet’s most precious and provocative environments. His commercial work has been used by a host of travel, sport, lifestyle and expedition publications across the globe, and he has consistently worked with the athletes on the World Surf Tour and UCI World Cycling events.

Adrian is committed to assisting others develop the confidence to succeed at their passions through his high-performance strategy consulting company. He is currently working on a book that will explores the inner journey to fulfilling your full potential.

When not working, you can find Adrian watching a Liverpool Football Club match, sailing a yacht to an undisclosed destination, swimming laps or trying to discover which tequila accompanies the world’s best fish taco.   

A lifelong passion for understanding natural world drove Max to study Biology at university. After completing his studies, he started his global education, spending four years doing field work in the most remote places he could find.

During his travels, he always had his camera within reach to capture the beautiful places he found himself in, and striving to develop his photography skills. After becoming a National Geographic Certified photo instructor, this became his main vocation, and he began guiding photography trips around the world.

Max brings a positive attitude to every expedition, and relishes making people smile as much as he loves capturing these happy moments. What he loves most about working on expedition ships is being surrounded by a world-class Expedition Team that is always helping him grow and learn.  

Renato is a former Economist who embarked on a transformative journey in 2014, leaving behind his office life to pursue a nature-oriented lifestyle. Since then, he has blossomed into a renowned wildlife and travel photographer, capturing captivating moments across all seven continents. Renato's expertise has led him to guide photography workshops, specialising in the polar regions.

With over a decade of experience in wildlife photography, Renato cherishes the opportunity to immerse himself in unique environments to capture unforgettable encounters. For him, photography is more than just a visual medium; it's a means to explore the unknown and gain a deeper understanding of familiar places.

Onboard, Renato eagerly embraces the opportunity to continuously learn from and be inspired by fellow expeditioners and help foster an atmosphere of exploration and discovery. 

As a child growing up in the 80s, Pia was fascinated by film and the power of images. Today, she still loves the role photography can play in creating awareness and inspiring social change. She asked for her first camera at age 9, started taking photography classes in high school and went on to study a degree in Audio-Visual Production and Photography. After graduating, Pia started her global education, travelling everywhere from Patagonia to Sri Lanka to the polar regions, working as a portrait and documentary photographer.

She has spent the last decade sharing the technical and creative photographic tips she has learned with travellers. For the past five years, she has tilted her practice to more collaborative and sustainable projects in areas of human rights issues, working for NGOs like UNICEF. 

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!

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.

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.

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.

Andy’s passion for exploration and travel was ignited in his teenage years during school trips to China and Washington D.C. Experiencing new and different cultures left him eager to explore more of the world.

Since leaving school Andy has worked in a variety of roles in Hospitality and Tourism, from managing restaurants across the world to spending over a decade in luxury travel agencies and tour operators in the UK.

One of Andy's core values is sustainability, which attracted him to Aurora Expeditions. In addition to helping Aurora become the global leader in sustainable expedition travel, he continues to work within the wider travel industry to share and develop ways to improve sustainability across the industry.

Outside of work, Andy loves getting out of London to go hiking and enjoying a meal with friends in the bustling city's ever-changing restaurant scene.

David has always had a passion for travel and learning from experience. After graduating from the University of Montreal’s business school, he moved to China for a year to gain experience in Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. After returning to Canada, he was introduced to expedition travel and spent the next 11 years working for a polar expedition operator promoting this unique type of travel to adventurous travellers and the trade community. In 2022, David completed his Master of Business Administration at Canada's Ivey Business School, and learnt the importance of implementing purpose into his career. Understanding the power of positive impact that tourism can promote, David is excited to be working for Aurora – a pioneer and global leader in sustainable expedition travel – as our Global Head of Sales.

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.

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."

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. 

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 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!