Danny Edmunds
Naturalist

Brigitte Fugger
Ecologist

Brigitte Fugger studied Biology at the University of Heidelberg and completed a masters degree in ecology. She has participated in studies on the breeding biology of egrets and birds of prey, reared birds of prey and reintroduced them into the wild and carried out bird censuses for environmental evaluations. She also guides and organises wildlife expeditions throughout the world. She has published 11 wildlife guides and has written scientific commentaries for wildlife movies.

Lori Gross

Lori’s passion for travel and science education has enabled her to visit and teach in some of the most beautiful places around the world. Lori graduated with honours from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut with a self-designed degree in Environmental Science and Policy. While studying in Baja, Mexico with The School for Field Studies, Lori decided to dedicate her life to experiential education and sharing her love for the natural world with others. Her thesis on the impact of eco-tourism on marine mammal behaviour taught her that there are many perspectives to every environmental issue.  For over ten years, Lori has worked in marine and environmental science experiential education for organizations including: Island Institute, Lee Middle School, Visions International, The Newfound Harbour Marine Institute, Whale Camp and the Curacao Sea Aquarium. In 2001, she founded Creative Education, a non-profit organization that provides unique opportunities for students to explore the culture and ecology of some of the most fascinating locations in the Western Hemisphere.  In addition to directing Creative Education, Lori consults for magnet schools around the country in the design, implementation and evaluation of their thematic programs.

Ragnar Hauksson

Ragnar is a native of Iceland. He graduated from the University of Iceland in 1981 with Icelandic studies as his main subject and German as by-subject. He speaks English, German and the Scandinavian languages fluently in addition to his mother tounge of Icelandic.

Since graduating from the Iceland Tourist School 1988, Ragnar has had extensive experience as a guide leading tours of various natures throughout his homeland. He has also taken part in a number of voyages on expedition cruise ships in the North Atlantic in the past ten years. – In addition to his guiding work, Ragnar works as a free lance translator of books and articles into Icelandic.

In his discussions, Ragnar has the ability to intertwine the history and the folk and fairy tales of the North Atlantic nations together with everyday life of modern societies in those countries.

Sonja is a marine biologist and has specialized in the ecology of marine mammals. She holds a Masters in Marine Science from the University of Otago in New Zealand, and a PhD from the University of St Andrews in Scotland where she now coordinates and teaches a new Master’s course in marine mammal science. Originally from Cologne, Germany, she has spent the last 14 years exploring places beyond Europe. In New Zealand she spent months along remote beaches studying the behaviour of New Zealand sea lions or wrestled with these and other feisty seals during tagging and census programmes. For her PhD research Sonja initiated an ongoing study of the conservation ecology of elusive dolphins and porpoises in southern Chile. Her fascination with the furry and blubbery ocean predators has taken her on research assignments all around the globe. Sonja is passionate about the outdoors, loves horse-riding when she is landlocked and enjoys scrambling up mountains or running in coastal forests. She is well versed in English, German and Spanish (the latter is a legacy of studying dolphins in rural fishing communities in southern Chile). Since 1999, Sonja has also been working as lecturer, naturalist and expedition leader aboard expedition vessels in the Arctic and Antarctic. The Great White and surrounding islands, such as South Georgia, are undoubtedly among her favourite niches on the planet. She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge of and enthusiasm for these magical places with you.

Johannes Koch
Glaciologist/Geologist

Joe has enjoyed many opportunities to travel before and since completing his PhD in Earth Sciences. Over the past eleven years, his research has taken him to remote areas in British Columbia, the Yukon, Alaska, New Zealand, Sweden, and the southernmost Patagonian Andes in Chile and Argentina. Joe’s research focus is the effects of climate change on alpine environments, specifically glaciers and treelines. He shares his enthusiasm for glaciers as often as possible, with university students, the general public, and while on board the ship. Joe has taught at universities/colleges in Canada and the US, and published his research in numerous international scientific journals. He recently moved to Vancouver Island, Canada, where he spends his time exploring his surroundings on foot, bicycle, in his kayak, and with his 30-year old van.

Gary Kochert
Botany, Geology/Glaciology

Gary has a lifelong interest in natural history and began identifying plants and collecting fossils in primary school. After serving as a Chinese translator in the U.S. Air Force, he received degrees in Geology and Botany from Indiana University. During more than 30 years as a Professor of Botany at the University of Georgia, Gary has taught a wide variety of courses in biology. He has also lectured as a visiting professor in China, Thailand, India, Brazil, Columbia, Uruguay and many other countries, done field geology in the Rocky Mountains, and has led private tours to a variety of African and Asian countries. In addition to natural history, Gary is fascinated by history, languages, and literature.

Hannah Lawson
Expedition Leader/ Mammologist

Hannah Lawson spent her childhood watching wildlife, drawing pictures and looking after a multitude of pets. After a period living in Israel (at school, in the army, painting murals and watching the raptor migration) she returned to Britain to read zoology at Liverpool University. To get close to big mammals, she spent a summer in Kenya looking at the intestinal parasites of black rhinoceros and gorillas. She has also worked as the artist in residence at Chester Zoo, a researcher in Uganda and as an illustrator for various conservation projects. She has also completed a masters in Natural History Illustration at the Royal College of Art in London. Her love for nature has taken her around the globe, watching, drawing, photographing and learning about the creatures she has encountered.

James Lowen
Naturalist

James Lowen is a wildlife writer, editor and photographer who has followed his passion for nature to remote locations all over the globe and now lives in Argentina. He has contributed to a dozen books and—following several tropical forest expeditions—has written more than 20 scientific papers on birds and their conservation.

In a previous incarnation, James was a suit-clad senior civil servant with the UK Government where he developed climate change policy in the United Nations, negotiated European Union environmental law in Brussels, and acted as a mediator for sparring British politicians in London. Nowadays, however, he is rarely seen without binoculars around neck and telephoto lens in hand. The suits hang in the wardrobe, unworn.

Pierre Malan

Pierre trained as an oceanographer and marine biologist at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town. After qualifying he worked in Namibia as a marine biologist, specializing in stock assessment of pelagic fish. During more than 20 years working in Namibia he travelled extensively along the Skeleton Coast, pursuing his interests as a naturalist and as a maritime historian. Since 2001 he has worked as a fisheries and environmental consultant, mainly in southern and eastern Africa and teaches at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Rhodes University as well as at the Mbegani Fisheries Development Centre in Tanzania. He is presently an advisor to the government of Mozambique.  His work on pelagic fish led him to his first Antarctic cruise in 1978. It was love at first sight! From then on he divided his work between the Benguela current and the Antarctic, taking part in numerous research cruises around the coasts of Southern Africa and eight cruises to the Antarctic, where he worked mainly on Krill stock assessment and environment as well as doing some whale stock assessment. In addition he has done research work in the Indian Ocean and the tropical Pacific Ocean. His Antarctic work has taken him mainly to the South Georgia – Antarctic Peninsula area.  He joined Polar Star expeditions in 2005. He has worked in the Antarctic and north Atlantic. He is a keen photographer and naturalist and a certifiable sailing ship nut.

Wendy Malan

Wendy Malan grew up on the pristine beaches of the Wild Coast in South Africa and became fascinated with the creatures of the sea from early childhood. Her love of wild places has taken her from the desert of the Skeleton Coast of Namibia to the never ending coast of Mozambique and the wildest of all, the Antarctic. Her initial experience of the Antarctic was through stories and photographs that her marine biologist husband came home with after his many research cruises down south. Her first trip south was down to the Antarctic ice shelf of Queen Maud Land in 2003 where she was completely smitten by the incredible beauty of the world south of the Antarctic circle.  She went to the University of Cape Town and qualified as a Ballet Teacher, then followed a career as professional ballet dancer, teacher, producer and choreographer. Leaving the Arts behind after about 20 years she became fascinated by the power of movement as a tool to both heal,  maintain health and deal with stress, and moved on to teaching her own mix of Pilates, stretching and injury rehabilitation exercises. She really enjoys meeting and getting to know new people and looks forward to sharing the life renewing experience of the pristine Antarctic.

Alastair Newton
Expedition Leader

Having grown up in England, Alastair did his degree in biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he specialized in arctic mammals. With his love of education and wildlife, it was only natural that he moved into wilderness guiding, leading hikes in Denali National Park, Alaska, for two seasons. It is from here that he made his transition into the expedition cruise ship industry. Since joining the industry, Alastair has led over 100 cruises to 40 countries around the world, always being drawn to the wildlife and cultures of the world’s most remote locations.  To date, one of his favourite destinations is Antarctica. His first visit was in 2004 with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), when he volunteered for 8 weeks on the Royal Research Ship James Clark Ross. This research voyage took him all around the Scotia Sea where he worked deploying and recovering fishing nets to gain an insight into the impacts of commercial fishing on Antarctic species.  Alastair was most recently in Antarctica in February 2010, helping lead a voyage to the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. While Alastair has not had the opportunity to experience an Antarctic winter, he has lived through several arctic winters, seeing temperatures as low as -62C and so brings insights and interests into life in the cold and the adaptations needed to survive life in extreme temperatures. As well as his interests in wildlife, Alastair also has a love of both flying and photography and has recently started flying 1940s Tiger Moth biplanes.

Jim Payne
Musician

For over 20 years, Jim has been a professional performing artist focusing on Newfoundland’s traditional music.  Hailing from Notre Dame Bay, he is one of the province’s most prolific songwriters.  Jim plays many instruments including guitar, accordion, mandolin and tin whistle and is a singer, storyteller, actor, step dancer and teacher of traditional Newfoundland set and square dances.

Fernando Da Silva
Azores Culture

After a thirty year career in Air Traffic Control, Fernando is now fully enjoying his lifetime passion, the Azorean nature and wildlife. An experienced diver and underwater photographer born in Santa Maria Island, he has extensive knowledge about the Azores Archipelago in most of its aspects. Fluent in six languages, he has also translated and published a number of books on whaling, an activity once practiced in the Azores islands and which still presents a lot of historical charisma and interest.

John Sparks
Ornithologist

John was born in Colchester, Essex and graduated in Zoology and Marine Biology at London University, and obtained a Ph.D. in bird behaviour.  In 1965, he joined the BBC’s illustrious Natural History Unit in Bristol as a Radio Producer, but then moved into television, eventually being one of the Producers of Sir David Attenborough’s bench mark series, “Life on Earth”.  He has produced many wildlife films including the award winning series Realms of the Russian Bear about the natural history of the former USSR and BBC-2’s flagship series “The Natural World” and has written a dozen books.

Jane Sproull Thomson
Art History and Culture

Jane Sproull Thomson teaches at the University of Calgary and the Glenbow Museum, and is Curator of Art at Red Deer College. She is a Research Associate and Life Member with the Arctic Institute of North America, is a past Curator of Ethnology with the Glenbow Museum, Calgary, and served as both Archaeology Curator and Chief Curator of the Newfoundland and Labrador Museums system. Jane writes and lectures in cultural history, archaeology and art history to school, college, university and vocational groups, and has lectured on cruises around the North Atlantic, Arctic and Britain for the past fifteen years. With over twenty years of museum and consulting experience she is a recognized expert in the field of heritage interpretation and planning and has had a key role in planning new heritage and tourism facilities throughout Canada.

Ian Tamblyn
Historian / Entertainer

Ian Tamblyn is a musician , playwright , producer and wilderness guide.  He has recorded several albums and countless soundtracks for theatre and film. Though he sees himself primarily as a songwriter , good fortune and serendipity have lead him to other fields of creative endeavour  and, to far- flung places on the planet . Firmly convinced that everything ties in with everything, Tamblyns’ songs reflect the places he has seen, and people he has met on this journey.   Creative diversity and interdisciplinary connections have been central to his work.

Callum Thomson
Historian/Archaeologist

Callum Thomson spent his early years on a small farm in the Western Isles of Scotland before emigrating to Canada to manage a dairy farm.  He later completed degrees in archaeology and anthropology, and has spent the last 30 years as a museum curator, government archaeologist and consulting archaeologist specializing in the circumpolar and North Atlantic region. Callum was recently appointed as a Research Associate at the Arctic Institute of North America. Since 1995, he has combined his love of the north, its peoples, archaeology and the sea as a lecturer and zodiac driver on small ship voyages in the Azores, the British Isles and Norway, across the Atlantic to the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, throughout the Canadian Arctic and eastern seaboard and into the Russian Far East. For the past four years he has extended his experience into Antarctic and Subantarctic waters and the history of exploration of this region. Between voyages, he can be found doing archaeological field work in the Canadian arctic or renovating the cottage he and his spouse/fellow lecturer Jane built on the Northumberland Strait, Nova Scotia.

Megan Tierney
Marine Biology

Megan’s background in Marine Biology and Zoology has provided her with the amazing opportunity to spend five summers and one winter working with Southern Elephant Seals, Royal Penguins and Adélie Penguins at both sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island and on the Antarctic continent itself. Megan grew up in northern New South Wales in Australia, with a keen interest in the marine world and originally studied in north Queensland. She currently resides in Tasmania where she is completing her PhD on the diet of Adélie penguins, work which she hopes will assist with the management of the krill fishery and the Southern Ocean ecosystem. When not down south, she enjoys rock-climbing, sea-kayaking, bushwalking and skiing.

Ursula Tscherter
Marine Biology

Josef is Swiss and well familiar with nature, be it skiing, rock climbing, trekking or alpine mountain and glacier tours. Diving in lakes, rivers, the sea and his interest in boating have been the basis for a long-standing passion for wildlife watching under and above water all year round. During his professional career as electronics engineer and managing director of his own company he widely travelled and developed a strong interest in the interrelation of natural phenomena and urban influences. Being an enthusiastic diving instructor and licensed scientific diver his activities took him to many destinations. Collaboration in research projects on sharks and their behaviour showed the complex correlation between economic interests, exploiting natural resources and sustainable environmental protection. Other projects include underwater archaeology and hydrographical measurements. In recent years, he has focussed his activities on video and photo projects on wildlife in Polar Regions, such as Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard, including diving und trekking. Combining technology, wildlife watching and active co-operation in research projects have become his new challenge.