Expedition Leader icon Expedition Leader

Shaun Powell

Shaun Powell has endeavored to feed his hunger for knowledge of the natural world since his childhood on a family farm in northeast Texas. He studied at the University of Texas in Austin, where he focused on print journalism and evolutionary sciences. After completing his studies in 1997, accident and a bit of good fortune landed him a position on board a small ship in Alaska, where he fell in love with expedition travel. What started with an eight-month contract has turned into a lifetime's worth of experiences traveling, literally, from pole to pole with like-minded travelers.

After living on-the-go for several years abroad in Europe, South Africa, and Australia he finally settled back in Austin, Texas. While not at home, he spends much of his time in the polar regions working with expedition ships, film teams, and photographers in these remote and uniquely beautiful locales; most recently taking a 12-person film team to South Georgia Island and the Antarctic. During over a dozen years of multi-expedition seasons to both polar regions, he considers himself fortunate to have been able see these wild places from almost all perspectives: from two-person, self-supporting expeditions in the Arctic, to leading a 13-meter sailboat during two-and-a-half months reporting for a National Geographic story on South Georgia. Regardless of the destination, his passion for travel and wildlife has him always on the lookout for the next great journey.

Whether on a rough and tumble expedition into wild parts unknown or an exploration of culture and history, he is ever keen to observe, absorb, and share more.