Talk to an Expedition Specialist
1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)
No more experienced polar team exists in travel
Our experienced expedition leader and a team of eight naturalists are your conduit to an extraordinary Arctic experience. And our exclusive Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor on board, ours exclusively, are there to help you capture the incredible wildlife photo ops. The undersea specialist will reveal the deep, while our wellness specialist helps you benefit from the tonic of wildness. And our video chronicler will record the entire voyage creating a permanent record for you.
Expedition Leader
Brent Stephenson was born in New Zealand and has been a birder since childhood, and in 2005 completed his Ph.D., studying the breeding biology of Australasian gannets in New Zealand. In 2003, along with Sav Saville, co-owner of their bird-guiding business, he rediscovered the “extinct” New Zealand storm-petrel, a bird known previously from only three museum specimens collected during the 1800s. With support from National Geographic, he led a team conducting further research on this enigmatic seabird.
National Geographic Photographer
As the longtime photo editor for National
Geographic Traveler magazine, Dan Westergren was responsible for the
magazine’s photographic vision, which has earned the publication numerous
awards for photography. He's been lucky to photograph amazing places for Traveler,
such as the summits of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Kilimanjaro, and the North
Pole. Dan is especially drawn to Arctic regions, having made more than ten
trips above the Arctic Circle.
Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
David grew up in the Seattle area, where he fell in love with nature through outdoor sports in the Pacific Northwest. He first picked up a camera during a 14-day Grand Canyon river trip at the age of 18. Little did he know that his hobby would morph into a lifelong passion and career. He moved to Colorado to pursue a degree in International Political Economy from Colorado College. After receiving his degree, he applied his passion for media to documenting watershed conservation issues in the Colorado River Basin states through the lens of a 900-mile-long river expedition in 2012.
Naturalist
Ella’s passion has always been in marine conservation, with a childhood spent swimming, kayaking or boating in the chilly waters of the UK, or surveying the marine life of those waters from windswept headlands. She has numerous, distinct early memories of shivering adults, wrapped up in jumpers and cagoules, looking down at her with slight horror through sheets of rain and commenting on her short sleeves. A phenomena that persists to this day. She graduated with a Masters degree in Marine Biology: Conservation and Resource Management from Swansea University, setting her up for a career protecting those marine ecosystems that she so loves. Ella has worked for several British whale conservancy charities, including ORCA and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) and is a British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) marine mammal medic. She has a real passion for lecturing, and during her time in these different organizations has presented to vastly ranging audiences; from groups of young children right up to filled auditoriums at the headquarters of HWDT partner, WWF.
Undersea Specialist
Emmett developed his love of nature and the environment from growing up in the heart of the Sperrin Mountains in Northern Ireland. His passion for the ocean came from time spent on family trips to the wild Atlantic coastlines of County Donegal.After studying for his Bachelor of Science in Marine Zoology, Emmett completed a Masters in Ecological Management and Conservation Biology, and a PhD in Marine Ecology. He was given the Bright Sparks Award by the Irish Marine Institute, allowing him to undertake his doctoral research out at sea, studying the ecology of macroalgae and the connectivity of marine communities in the Northeast Atlantic.
Assistant Expedition Leader
Johanna grew up landlocked in a small town in Southern Germany. She realized at an early age that she wanted to see more of the world than the foot of the Swabian Alps and every year, she would beg her parents to spend the summers near the sea.
Naturalist
Russian-Canadian naturalist Serguei was born into a family of marine biologists on the coast of the Barents Sea, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia. He spent his childhood playing in fjords, collecting marine creatures at low tide and learning their strange names and habits. Ever since he was a preschooler, Serguei has known he’d become a biologist and he counts himself lucky that he’s been able to follow his dreams and embrace the many facets of nature.
Naturalist
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.