Jewels of the Arctic

Languages: Polish (Native), English (Fluent)

Since setting off from Poland to explore the world at 18, Piotr hasn’t settled in any one place for too long. He first ventured to the Arctic Circle in 2014 and fell in love with the raw arctic landscape, rich personal histories, and unique wildlife. Working as a musher in Svalbard, Piotr lived the simple life. 12km outside of a settlement and without running water, he cared for 100 polar dogs and guided people around the remote island. This grounding experience gave him a skillset and wealth of knowledge of the Arctic.

Now working between Iceland and Greenland, Piotr is studying a Masters in Arctic Tourism whilst guiding dog sledding, kayaking, and hiking.

Part outdoor experiential educator and part field biologist, Joselyn began her global education and travel feats at the age of 13. Since then, she has studied field biology in Tanzania and Ecuador, monitored brown bears in Alaska, worked with endangered birds in the forests of Hawaii, taught rock climbing and backpacking in North Carolina, surveyed rare plants in Texas, been employed as a chef and boat driver in the Adirondacks of New York, worked as a biologist and interpretive ranger at a variety of U.S. National Parks, trained in helicopter operations over Maui and deployed as a wildland firefighter in the western United States.

After earning a Master’s degree in Botany, this eclectic background helped her land a job working in support of the US Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station. She went on to spend several seasons on the ice, including two winters at the South Pole where she for a time, the world’s most southerly farmer! After volunteering to give several local tours for both the station community as well as visiting expedition cruise ships, it was a natural step to join the ship-based expedition world as a way to merge her passion for education and desire to experience more of Antarctica - and really the rest of the globe.

When not somewhere far afield with expedition work, back in the U.S, Joselyn spends most of her time in the Big Bend region of far western Texas where she enjoys guiding, botanising, and watching and listening to life go by in the Chihuahuan Desert from the porch of her off-grid, fancy camping home.

Joselyn is passionate about learning more about the world around her, and sharing that passion with others-- hoping to inspire a broader appreciation for, and understanding of, the fascinating world we live in.

Languages: German (Native), English  (Fluent), French (Fluent)

Annette is a marine biologist who specialises in whales, penguins and open ocean ecosystems. She holds a PhD in behavioural ecology of king penguins at the Subantarctic islands of South Georgia, Kerguelen and Crozet, and has worked on protected areas for macaroni penguins with the British Antarctic Survey, BirdLife International and CNRS France.

Annette has 15 years of experience as a whale watching guide and advisor for underwater film and photography teams in the Azores and Patagonia. As a guest lecturer for marine biology and sustainability with Heidelberg University in Germany, Annette now regularly takes students to the Azores for first-hand experience of the open ocean and to gain close experience with whales and dolphins, sharks, manta rays and seabirds.

Besides her work as a scientist and lecturer, Annette is collaborating with international education institutions to pass on her passion for the oceans and raise awareness of the fragility of the sea and its inhabitants.

Annette currently lives between Cambridge (UK), Heidelberg (Germany) and the Azores, where she works on sustainable fisheries, whale foraging behaviour and educating the next generation.

Scott Portelli is an international award-winning wildlife, nature and underwater photographer. He’s a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and is regarded as a leading professional in his field. Scott has spent thousands of hours in remote locations across the globe filming and photographing nature, wildlife, the underwater environment and wild places.

Scott has spent over a decade working in the polar regions with a focus on Antarctica, the Subantarctic and Artic regions, producing a unique portfolio of fine art photography that showcases the intricate environment and its intriguing inhabitants. Working in extreme conditions, Scott’s photography provides a rarely seen glimpse above and below the surface in some of the harshest places on the planet.

As a professional nature, wildlife, underwater and aerial photographer, Scott spends a lot of time travelling the world to remote destinations in search of some of the most amazing creatures on the planet. For Scott, it is about the journey, bringing an idea to life by capturing a moment in time or by evoking an emotion. Each image has a unique story that is usually a very intimate moment that Scott may have shared with the subject.

“To create interesting concepts, it sometimes involves me immersing myself in an environment in order to research the location, subject matter and what opportunities may present themselves. I once spent two months on the back of a snow mobile in Baffin Island, Canadian Arctic in minus 37 degrees just to do a reconnaissance of the region for a series of photos I wanted to produce. In the end, I love what I do and I love sharing the natural world through photography.”

Scott was awarded at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year in London in 2016, announced National Winner of the Sony World Photography Awards 2016 and Winner at Travel Photographer of the Year 2015. More recently, he was awarded winner in the Animal Behaviour Category at the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year ANZANG 2017, winner in the Underwater Category of the Asferico International Nature Photography Awards 2018 and runner up in the Behaviour Category at Underwater Photographer of the Year 2019. His conservation documentary also took out two awards at the prestigious French Underwater Film Festival in Marseille.

Scott's other notable awards include:

• 3^rd Prize - National Geographic Travel Photo Contest - Nature Category 2019
• Winner - 13^th Annual Black & White Spider Awards 2018
• Highly Honoured - Nature's Best, Windland Smith Rice International Awards 2018
• Winner - Sony World Photography Awards 2016

An accredited licensed RPAS/UAV Pilot, Scott has worked on aerial projects for some of Australia’s most sought-after tourism destinations.

Scott runs photography workshops and lectures to show enthusiasts and experts alike the best way to get the most out of their photography. On his Polar tours he specialises in Nature & Wildlife photography bringing the best tips and techniques for photographing in challenging locations.

Ian is a Glaciologist, Marine Climatologist, Oceanographer and Geologist. He has 40 years research experience in the fields of climatology, paleoclimatology, polar glaciology, climate change science, coastal and marine geoscience, coastal oceanography, and maritime prehistory. Ian is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, and Adjunct Research fellow at the Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia. Ian is also the principal scientist of the consultancy ClimaLab.

Ian has completed 10 scientific expeditions to East Antarctica as glaciologist, glacial geologist and paleoclimatologist, and has served as field and scientific leader on most expeditions. His work, spanning 1984 to present, has resulted in the exploration, mapping, and glaciology of new frontiers in Antarctica. These include leader of the 1985-86 over-wintering Wilkes Land glaciological traverses, and summer, field programs in the Prince Charles Mountains, Lambert Glacier-Amery Ice Shelf, Law Dome and Windmill Islands, Mill Is, Shackleton Ice Shelf, eastern Wilkes Land, George V Land, northern Victoria Land, and participated in US Antarctic Research Program, NZ Antarctic Research Program, Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions, and the US Coastguard. Ian served as Ice Specialist on the US Coastguard Polar Sea voyage in 2001.

In addition, Ian has served as Co-leader role in the International Trans Antarctic Science Expedition (ITASE) of SCAR 1997-present. He has also served as Coastal geologist and oceanographer on land-based and ship-cruise, field expeditions throughout Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, Samoa, Cook Islands, Hawaii, South Africa, Chile, USA, and Baja Mexico.

Since 2017, Ian is also an Ecotourism presenter and field guide working in Antarctica and Chile. He has also worked as a Professional Photographer and Scientific Communicator with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) and has a forthcoming book on Past Climate and Antarctica. He is a keen surfer, skier, mountaineer and sailor. Ian also provides extreme weather forecasts to the NSW Government and is an advisor to Risk Frontiers on coastal and meteorological hazards, to Weatherzone and Swellnet, for wave forecasting.

Languages: Polish (Native), English (Fluent)

Sergey is a highly qualified sea Zodiac driver and expedition specialist from the cold lands of Russia. He is also a boatswain with 16 years' experience. For the last 14 years, Sergei has been training and guiding in Zodiacs in both Antarctica and the Arctic.

“We are all sailors in our family. A whole dynasty. Therefore, I fell in love with the sea in my early childhood. And I always dreamt about travelling," says Sergey.

To follow his dream, Sergey enrolled to serve in the Navy where he underwent thorough training. After graduating from the Marine College, he began work in the Navy. He also graduated from the institute, where he received the highest level of education in management.

“In 2004, I was lucky to get a job at Aurora Expeditions. The same year I met Greg Mortimer. I was amazed at his achievements, his courage, and for the first time I saw a man who conquered Everest. Then I told many of my friends about our meeting. My first trip to the Arctic will always remain in my memory. It’s so beautiful and you will love it forever”.

Sergey enjoyed all the impressions that the Arctic had to offer and meeting wonderful people along the way, many of whom still work with Aurora Expeditions today.

Sergey’s first trip to Antarctica left him with even more impressions. Icebergs, penguins, whales, killer whales, and making more new friends.

“I have always liked working with Aurora and it’s nice when passengers are satisfied with our work," remarks Sergey.

John has been involved in polar and marine research for over 30 years, studying animals ranging from microscopic crustaceans to whales, fish and dugongs. He has a love of travel and the natural world and a passion for exploring the planet’s wild and wonderful places.

John started his career as a marine biologist with the Australian Antarctic Division in the 1980’s, participating in multiple research expeditions to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. A highlight of this time was the year he spent at Davis Station on the East Antarctic coastline. There he conducted a year-round under-ice SCUBA diving program, documenting the diverse invertebrate fauna of the Antarctic coastal sea floor. He also monitored seal and penguin populations; in one project travelling across frozen seas for hundreds of kilometres to tag Weddell seals and record their new pups. John continued his Antarctic research at Monash University, where he completed a PhD on the ecology of zooplankton in an Antarctic fjord.

Away from Antarctica, John has worked as a fisheries scientist, commercial diver, environmental manager and university academic. He is currently a lecturer at Griffith University, where he teaches integrated resource management and mentors postgraduate student researchers.

Whether in Antarctica or the Arctic, each time John travels with Aurora Expeditions he experiences something new and exciting, and he eagerly anticipates each and every voyage.

Graeme was working in electronic engineering and IT when he landed a job at the Australian Antarctic Station and fell in love with the great white continent. After 20 years of service, he sought a chance with Antarctic expedition teams to explore beyond the Australian sector. After living in polar regions for 30 years and guiding on over 100 expeditions, Graeme has a unique blend of knowledge and experience that is hard to match. He enjoys being at sea as there is always the chance of something unexpected happening and he thrives on passing on all he’s learnt from fellow researchers. He feels that the better you understand an environment, the greater you appreciate it.

Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Fluent)

Liz has been an explorer since before she can remember. Whether in the mountains, on the water, in the city or just her backyard her curiosity constantly led her off the beaten path and into great adventures. Coming from a long line of seafarers and pirates she has always been naturally drawn to the ocean. She has explored the world’s most remote corners and coastlines by sea kayak.

A professional guide since 2003, Liz works in expedition development, instruction and programs for expedition ships, schools and organisations. She can’t wait to get out amongst the polar waters with our expeditioners in 2022.

Growing up on the South Coast of NSW, the coastline and its beaches were always a second home to Eamon. He would explore the coastline either kayaking, snorkelling, or surfing during ocean swim events. Eamon bought his first kayak with a friend at the age of 13 years old and has had more than one type or another ever since.

The canyons and cliffs of the Blue Mountains soon called to him and a long love of climbing and bushwalking followed. The amazing people he met in the mountains would shape what he wanted to do and become in life.

Eamon transferred from electronics tech industry to outdoor guiding in 1994, and he has been involved in outdoor education, guiding, training, instructing and assessing people in a variety of adventurous pursuits and first aid courses ever since.

He is truly rewarded seeing people enjoy new activities, experience different cultures, and be affected by beautiful natural environments. For years Eamon has lead student teams to Peru, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, NZ, Fiji and Nepal. These expeditions encourage the students to grow in independence, resilience and awareness.

For the last 10 years, he has also been working as a sea kayaking guide in Fiji and beyond. Back at home he continues to guide, teach and share his love of the outdoors with adult and student groups.

His passion for languages, travel and adventure has made for a wealth of great memories and stories.