Call +1.800.397.3348 or contact your travel advisor
Back to team directory
Voyage to Antarctica
Our classic Antarctica itinerary delivers huge tabular icebergs, sculptural bergs floating in pools of turquoise blue melt water, mountains rising some 9,000 feet straight up from the sea, penguins galore, abundant marine mammals and extraordinary experience such as cruising through the solemn majesty of the Lemaire Channel, among many more. Spend your days and nights in a rapture of discovery.
Please set your date of departure to get a more accurate result
Expedition staff are subject to change.
Naturalist
Bud Lehnhausen
Bud received an undergraduate degree in wildlife biology at Colorado State University. He then immediately went to Alaska where he worked and lived for 30 years. At the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Bud studied wildlife biology and received a master's degree conducting research on four species of alcid seabird nesting on a remote island in the Gulf of Alaska. For a number of years he worked as a research biologist studying various fields, including moose/habitat relationships, songbird populations in relation to succession, tundra bird populations and migration, and woodpecker populations after natural forest fires. Since 1983, Bud has worked as a naturalist and expedition leader with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. During these years he has traveled in the Arctic and Antarctic, temperate and tropical regions of Central and South America, Atlantic Ocean crossings, and the western South Pacific. These numerous voyages over the years have given him a chance to appreciate diversity of life and cultures which he finds fascinating. In addition to traveling, Bud is an avid natural history photographer and his wife writes children’s books on natural history illustrating them and using Bud’s photographs. Having built their own super-insulated house in Fairbanks over a 20 year period, in 2003 they relocated their family to northern Colorado. They are in the process of being owner/builders of a new energy efficient passive solar home in the foothills above Fort Collins.
Expedition Leader
Stefano Pozzi
Stefano is originally from Italy and nature has always been the greatest of his passions. Spending time outdoors is his daily priority with a special devotion rock climbing during summer, accompanied by ski and snowboarding during winter. Stefano has a mathematical background and graduated with honors at the University of Milan after 4 years of combined studies in Italy, India, Norway and Sweden. This represented for him the final fulfillment of his student duties and he celebrated by taking off to a 3-month solo bike-trip from Milan to Lisbon and back, following the pilgrimage route "Camino di Santiago" and covering a distance of 8000km. The taste of freedom gained through his bike tour and his travels led Stefano to move to the wildernesses of Norway in 2011, working as ski instructor and tour guide. In search of new challenges, in 2014 Stefano moved to the very high arctic of Svalbard and here he took the university education of Arctic Nature Guide and increased his skills on flora and fauna of the arctic. Today Stefano is a full-time outdoor professional and has working experience from Arctic, Antarctic, Italy, Norway, Australia and Nepal. His expertise is long ski and hike expeditions and he logs more than 100 field days and tent nights in the Norwegian Arctic. His everyday mission as naturalist is to share his knowledge and bring his guests even closer to nature, be able to provide them with the means to "live" in the wilderness rather than merely survive. In return he loves to learn something new every day from his guests.
Naturalist
Robert Edwards
Growing up in the Appalachian foothills of the Garden State, Rob instinctively knew it made a lot more sense to head over the hill into the fields, forests, lakes, and streams behind his house, rather than down the road to the shopping mall in front of it. The natural world piqued the inherent curiosity in all of us and set his life course based on these questions: how does the world work, and how do we as humans fit into it? As an undergraduate it was a revelation to Rob that one could get paid to hike through clouds of mosquitoes and berry brambles just to collect a water sample, and by the completion of graduate school he had worked on a variety of ecological research projects from the Southern Appalachians to northeastern Quebec. After moving to the western U.S., opportunities included studying the impacts of the oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, crawling through mountain streams to count salmon fry, climbing the Continental Divide to elucidate air pollution effects on mountain ecosystems, and more than a decade working with projects to study the ice and ecology of Antarctica. Currently based in Montana, Rob happily combines work and play to explore interesting places wherever they can be found.
Undersea Specialist
Kayvon Malek
Kayvon Malek is an underwater videographer whose work as an expedition guide and in the wildlife documentary industry have taken him pole to pole. After taking a scuba course on a whim in college, Kayvon’s newfound obsession led him to working as a research diver and then to the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a diver and presenter. It was there that he found his love of sharing the oceans with visitors and began documenting his local subtidal world for any and all to see. Now this passion has taken him across the world to some of the most productive cold water environments on the planet. From Alaska to Norway, and down to the Antarctic Peninsula, Kayvon documents these hidden marine worlds to show to guests aboard polar expedition ships. When not working in the expedition industry Kayvon also works in the wildlife documentary filmmaking world- having worked TV series such as Our Great National Parks for Netflix and Incredible Animal Journeys for Disney+. He cherishes the opportunity to bring the natural world into the homes of people everywhere, so they too can fall in love with the oceans and discover a beautiful world that is more threatened than ever. When not traveling for work, Kayvon can often be found in the kelp forests of his home in the Monterey Bay, perhaps making new pinniped friends, having staring competitions with rockfish, or out on an easter egg hunt for colorful nudibranchs.
Expedition Leader
Andy Wolff
A Midwestern kid with an insatiable curiosity about places far and foreign, Andy has converted a lucky break after college into a career at sea. From swabbing the decks to advocating for artisans and zooming in Zodiacs, he knows the operation from every department on board. What keeps him fresh after nearly two decades working at sea is waking up somewhere new every morning, the day ahead a blank slate with no way of knowing what marvels nature and serendipity may bring his way. Andy looks forward to sharing this sense of wonder and possibility with guests as they venture together into new realms with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. Having traveled everywhere from Madagascar to Moscow, Andy’s happy place is amongst icebergs and whales on a sunny Antarctic summer day. When not aboard ship, he often winters near tropical seas, typically hunting below the water’s surface for nudibranchs. A happy Pacific Northwest transplant, Andy now calls the evergreen forests of Olympia, Washington home. There he enjoys crafting homemade soap, trail running, and consuming copious quantities of coffee. If you end up sharing a table in the dining room one evening, be sure to ask about his international gold medal in barbershop. Andy was thrilled to join the Lindblad Expeditions team in 2010. Among so much photographic talent, he is a firm believer that the best camera is the one you always have with you. For a look at life through his lens, investigate instagram.com/travelingandy.
Cultural Specialist
Tua Pittman
Internationally acclaimed as a traditional master navigator, Tua has navigated canoes across the great oceans of our planet from the coastlines of Asia through to the shores of the Americas for more than 30 years, without the use of modern instruments. This Cook Islander, also of New Zealand Maori and Tahitian bloodlines, uses an ancient navigational system based upon careful observation of celestial bodies—sun, moon, and stars—as well as using ocean swells, flight patterns of birds, and other natural markers. Tua’s efforts to adopt and promote the sailing arts of the ancients have been recognized throughout the Pacific. In 2008 he was designated a Pwo navigator on the island of Satawal in Micronesia and inducted by sacred ritual into this rarefied society of master navigators by Grand Elder and Master Navigator Mau Piailug. In addition to earning prominence among traditional voyaging societies, Tua is known throughout Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia for his mentoring of young islanders in the traditional cultures and languages of their ancestors. Tua is a respected chieftain of his island homeland, a dancer, drummer, athlete, and gifted speaker. His lecture topics, accompanied by excellent visual materials, include the origin and migration theory of the Pacific people; ancient traditional voyaging and navigation; traditional voyaging in this modern day; open-air star presentation and identification—navigating Pacific skies; and Pacific Ocean traditions and cultures.
Undersea Specialist
Gail Ashton
With a bachelor's degree in Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography from Swansea University, Wales, and a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, Gail is dedicated to investigating marine biodiversity and exploring the world. As a PADI Dive Master, she has completed over 500 research dives, many under the ice in Antarctica. Gail has worked as a research scientist and post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian and the British Antarctic Survey. She spent over 18 months living and working at the Rother Research Station in Antarctica. Her research has focused on species acclimation, biodiversity on artificial structures, the transfer of organisms by boats, invasive species control, and the effects of ocean warming on marine species. Her publication, "Predator control of marine communities increases with temperature across 115 degrees of latitude," appeared in the June 2022 issue of Science. Gail's research has taken her to diverse locations, including the Aleutian Islands, Antarctica, the Coco Islands, the Galapagos, Guam, Indonesia, Panama, and many other places. As an accomplished researcher and environmentalist, Gail is passionate about sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the world's marine communities. She believes that while many sea creatures are found worldwide, the unique diversity of species in each location makes every place distinct and exciting.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Nathan Kelley
Nathan Kelley developed his love for nature as a kid at his family’s cabin in Northern Wisconsin. Family fishing trips, camping, hiking and a trip to his first National Park in the Everglades, all vigorously shaped his passion for the natural world. After graduating with a degree in Cinema and Photography from Southern Illinois University in the heart of the Shawnee National Forest, he moved to Southern California to work as a camera operator and photographer in a wide range of projects including work for the National Geographic Society. Now living in Juneau, Alaska he has found the place his heart always belonged. His photography has also been exhibited in galleries and in publications. A strong desire for adventure led him to travel around the world learning new cultures and photographing the beauty in the diverse natural world we live in. Living and working in Southeast Alaska has allowed him to fine tune his creative eye, while educating his guests on photography tips and the ecology of the place he calls home. Nathan hopes his photography, knowledge and passion will inspire others to explore and stand up for the planet.
Naturalist
Shannon Malone
Growing up along the coastal environment of San Diego, Shannon started her first volunteer job at a local nature center at the age of six. Since then, she has built her personal life and professional career around connecting with nature. She received her degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she participated in kelp forest ecology research, outdoor education programs (in Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands), as well as a thesis in Fisheries Management. She continued her journey to Maui, Hawaii, where she led sailing and snorkeling tours. Inspired by the wonders of the Humpback whales in Hawaii, she migrated with the whales to Juneau, Alaska as a whale watching and hiking naturalist. In 2019, she completed a lifelong dream to travel South and Central America, where she volunteered at eco-lodges and natural farms with local families to find a deeper connection to the cultures, people, ecosystems, and the Spanish language. Shannon has found great joy in traveling and providing experiences that inspire and educate guests, leaving them with an unforgettable sense of connection to the unique places visited. She currently resides in Maui, where she continues to facilitate sailing excursions and work with local Humpback whale research groups.
Cammy Lachesnez-Heude
Cammy was born in Martinique but didn’t quite stick around long enough to learn French, but she’s working on it! Her family relocated to the Sunshine State of Florida where the Gulf of Mexico was a five-minute bike ride away (not including the very necessary ice cream stop along the way). The majority of her childhood was spent eating oranges while perched in the trees of her backyard or cutting her feet up while calf deep in mangrove estuary muck. While she loved the weird and wacky creatures of Florida, California was calling. Off to University of California, Santa Cruz she went to become a banana slug under the redwoods while majoring in Environmental Studies and Politics. Environmental Law seemed the next logical step but a bison ranch, Australian cruise ship, and currently Lindblad all seemed like reasonable speed bumps along the way. Cammy’s dream creature to see in their natural habitat is a Narwhal, so if you have seen one, tell her all about it! You can find her behind her desk, partaking in a polar plunge, hiking ridges, or madly searching for creatures from the bridge.
Historian
Gerard Baker
Gerard Baker is a BBC presenter and documentary maker, having made more than 30 radio and television documentaries in the past 25 years from Antarctica to the Himalaya. A renowned author, Gerard has published 15 books on subjects as wide as beekeeping to books for the Great British Bake Off. As a historian, he shares his love of the destinations we travel to with passion and clarity. As a naturalist with degrees in Botany, Zoology and Environmental Management, he also shares a love of the natural world and is well placed to interpret on shore within all the zones in which we travel. Gerard has spent more than 4000 nights on the Antarctic continent as a multiple winterer, working in logistics and conservation. When at home, he keeps bees and breeds fox red Labradors.
Naturalist
Tiphanie May
Tiphanie is an 8th generation Falkland Islander living in Stanley. She was raised on a small group of islands in the south of the archipelago, owned and worked by her parents as a sheep farm. Tiph was raised surrounded by Falkland’s wildlife with her family island boasting rookeries of Magellanic and Gentoo penguins as well as several other breeding birds. Surrounded by all this wildlife it was of no surprise that she found nature fascinating. From the penguins living under her house to the wonderful variety of creatures found in the crab pots, marine life was a theme. This led to her to travel to the UK at 16 to study to be a marine biologist. Tiphanie continued studying in the UK to earn her BSc (HONS) Marine Biology and MSc in Marine Biology. Using her holidays to volunteer in the Falklands for various conservation projects to gain experience such as de-oiling of seabirds and habitat restoration. Upon completing her studies, she joined the Government Fisheries Department, spending 200 days per year at sea monitoring seabird activity and collecting population data. Later she went on to manage a small boating operation along the coast of the islands before being offered an opportunity to join an expedition cruise as an expedition guide to Antarctica. Tiphanie has been addicted to exploring the polar regions ever since and has since travelled and worked extensively in both polar regions. She looks forward to welcoming you to the polar regions.