Please note: Staff and voyages reflect current schedule, substitutions may occur.
Chris Cutler, General Naturalist
Chris Cutler is a naturalist / ornithologist / field biologist whose research and travels have taken him to locales less disturbed and more far-flung than most. Since studying biology at the University of California, he has worked as a researcher, ecological consultant, and naturalist guide.
Chris Harbard, Ornithologist
Chris Harbard is a well-known
British ornithologist and conservationist who has
travelled the world in search of birds. Chris writes for Birdwatch magazine
and also manages its website, and is a regular contributor to the BBC’s natural
history radio output. Additionally, he edits the Birdwatchers' Guides series of books and serves on the
council of the Ornithological Society of the Middle East.
Chris Srigley, General Naturalist & Bear Guard
Chris has spent several seasons as a General Naturalist
in such remote and fascinating places as Svalbard, Greenland, Norway, Scotland,
the Canadian Arctic and Antarctica.
Christian Walter, Historian
Christian Walter’s expertise in anthropology, archaeology, art and history has enabled him to traverse the globe extensively. An Easter Island resident, Christian has researched Easter Island’s petroglyphs, comparing them with the island’s ancient writing system, Rongorongo, and has, since 1976, worked to improve the use of the Rapa Nui National Park.
Dr. Claire Allum, Anthropologist
Dr. Claire Allum earned her BA and doctorate from the University of Calgary and her MA in Anthropology from Trent University. She started out specializing in Northern Plains prehistory—able to identify every bone in a bison—but changed focus after spending three months excavating a 5,000-year-old site on the coast of Ecuador.
Dr. Claudia Holgate, Environmentalist
Claudia Holgate is dedicated to making our planet the best it can be. As an environmental management professional with a background in project management, Claudia runs a consultancy in her homeland South Africa, teaches a myriad of courses on the subject, and serves as an honorary research associate in geosciences at Monash University in Australia.
Dr. Colleen Batey, Historian
Dr Colleen Batey is Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow. In the arena of Viking and Late Norse Culture of the North Atlantic and Scotland, Colleen has both excavation and publication experience.
Elizabeth Bradfield, Naturalist
Liz has been working as a marine educator and naturalist for over ten years. She has assisted with research on a wide range of projects, from kelp to humpback whales, songbirds to seals. She has worked as a kayak guide and as a marine mammal stranding responder. She is also the author of two award-winning collections of poetry: Approaching Ice and Interpretive Work.
Elliott Neep, Photographer
Elliott is an award-winning, professional wildlife photographer and tour leader for photographic expeditions. His work has taken him to East Africa, Svalbard,
Antarctica and
India.
Dr Franz Bairlein, Ornithologist
Dr Franz Bairlein studied biology, chemistry and physics at the University of Konstanz and is currently President of the German Ornithologists’
Society, President of the European Union for Bird Ringing, President of the
International Ornithologists’ Union, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Ornithology.
Major JGH Corrigan MBE
Commissioned from The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1962, Gordon Corrigan was an officer of the Royal Gurkha Rifles before retiring from the Army in 1998. He served mainly in the Far East, but also in Berlin, Cyprus, Belize and Northern Ireland. His last appointment was Commanding Officer of the Gurkha Centre in Hampshire. He is now a military historian.
Dr. Hans-Peter Reinthaler, Biologist
Hans-Peter holds a doctorate in Natural Science from Karl-Franzens University in Graz and is a published scientist. He has collaborated on projects, exhibitions and educational programmes for the Upper Austrian State Museum, Linz AG Service, and Schloßmuseum Linz.
Dr Harald Schwammer, Zoologist
As a zoologist, Harald has had the unusual opportunity to enjoy great diversity in his work. He has used a number of different disciplines including behavioral research, ecology and conservation to study a wide variety of land and marine animal species from snakes to apes, from sea gulls to elephants, from spiders to marine invertebrates like sea urchins and soft corals.
Imogen Corrigan, Historian
Imogen graduated from the University of Kent with a 1st in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval History, and has lectured extensively on Anglo-Saxon and Medieval subjects in Britain and Europe. She conducts a variety of historical tours together with her husband, Gordon.
Juan Carlos Restrepo, Geologist
With a geology degree from the Universidad de Caldas in Colombia, and a thesis relating to coastal geomorphology, Juan Carlos Restrepo left the Colombian Andes on a trek around the world, working on board different vessels in various capacities from organising dives and water sport activities to driving the Zodiacs and lecturing on geology of the diverse places he and his passengers visit.
Kara Weller, Biologist
Kara Weller has always had a passion for travel and for the biology of the natural world. Growing up in Alaska, she first became interested in wildlife when bears and moose constantly visited the woods next to her house. Kara has earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in wildlife biology, with research experiences that range from studying whales in the Bering Sea to mouflon sheep in Eastern Europe.
Luciano Bernacchi, Naturalist
Luciano “Luqui” Bernacchi is a native Argentinean with significant experience in adventure travel and eco-tourism as a mountain guide, ski guide, tour leader, naturalist guide, and birding guide. Currently, Luciano is based in Los Glaciers National Park, Patagonia, Argentina and works as Executive Director and board member of Glaciarium/Museo del Hielo Patagonico.
Dr. Maria Patricia Silva Rodriguez
Since 1991, Patricia has spent over thirty-six months working in the remote southern latitudes, including twelve Antarctic Research Expeditions. She has written more than fifty scientific papers and works for international conferences, with topics on the biology of several Antarctic seabird species.
Dr Michaela Mayer, Marine Biologist
Michaela's studies and research have taken her from the Institute for Polar Ecology at the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and the University of Lapland in Finland to the research vessel Polarstern in the Greenland Sea and the Koldewey research base located in Svalbard. She has worked at Argentine research base “Jubany” on King George Island, and served as director of the Maritime Institute at the University of Applied Science in Bremen, Germany.
Olga Stavrakis, Anthropologist
Olga Stravrakis holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology specialising in tropical agriculture, an MA in ancient Maya archaeology and undergraduate degrees in Geology, History and Classics. She worked for many years in the Maya region in Central America, excavating the legendary ancient city of Tikal in the Guatemalan jungle.
Peter W. Damisch, Historian
For more than 35 years, Peter Damisch has been travelling the world, including logging 750,000 km at sea onboard vessels such as the replica of Captain Cook’s Endeavour, and as an Expedition Leader. His many awe-inspiring trips to Antarctica led to his authorship of a comprehensive Antarctic history, from the formation of the continent through the heroic age of Shackleton, Amundsen and Scott.
Ray Stranagan, Photographer
A graduate of the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale for Video Production and Digital Filmmaking, Ray Stranagan pursues his passion for photography and travel by filming natural ecosystems and scuba diving around the world.
Rich Pagen, Conservation Biologist
Rich began his career in conservation biology as an environmental educator. He has since worked on field biology projects, received a Masters degree from the
University of Missouri, became interested in marine conservation issues and conducted studies as a biologist
for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Since 2004, he has lectured aboard ships in the Arctic,
Antarctic and everywhere in between.
Richard Sidey, Photographer
Richard Sidey is a professional digital media designer and photographer from the South Island of New Zealand. Based in Australia, Canada and Ireland, he has been working as the
onboard photographer for expedition ships since 2003, and continues to
explore his affinity with the polar regions.
Robin L. Aiello, Marine Biologist & Ecotourism Specialist
Robin Aiello graduated Harvard University with highest honours in evolutionary biology (palaeontology) and geological sciences. Always the adventurer, she has camped in a tent alongside thousands of penguins while diving and studying jellyfish under the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
Robin West, General Naturalist
Robin West is most in his element when surrounded by nature and water. He began working on expedition ships as a Zodiac Driver, moving up to Staff Assistant and later to Expedition Leader. He now works full-time aboard cruise ships, voyaging to the far reaches of the earth.
Stefan Kredel, Geologist
Never the idle tourist, Stefan Kredel has cycled throughout Europe, traversed Nepal’s Annapurna Circle, hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, and explored copper, gold and diamond mines in Austria, Italy, South Africa, and his native Germany. He has travelled extensively throughout Iceland, Greenland, and the North Pole regions.
Sue Flood, Wildlife Filmmaker
Sue Flood is a photographer and wildlife filmmaker, whose speciality is polar and marine environments. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in Zoology, Sue spent 11 years working for the BBCs world-renowned Natural History Unit.
Dr. Toby Musgrave, Naturalist
A leading British authority on garden history and design with a degree in horticulture and a doctorate in garden history, Toby Musgrave lectures far and wide to students of garden history and design at Oxford University, the Royal Horticultural Society, aboard expedition cruises and throughout the United States.
Uli Kunz, Oceanographer and Zodiac Driver
Uli has done more than 1,000 dives all over the world, mostly in cold
waters, and, after completing a special education to become a certified Scientific Diver, participated in a number of diverse underwater research
projects.
Will Wagstaff, Ornithologist
Will Wagstaff has been guiding his own wildlife tours since 1985, showing visitors the natural history of the Isles of Scilly where he lives. During the winter months, he has led wildlife tours to many parts of the globe, most notably the Falkland Islands.