Like most who join Hurtigruten and our world-leading Expedition Team, Lauren has a passion for travel, exploration, and the Blue Planet. With a background in marine science and conservation, she has spent a number of years travelling around the world documenting the sightings and behaviours of Cetaceans (whales and dolphins). More recently she has been working for ORCA, a whale and dolphin conservation charity and one of the partners within our onboard science programme. As the Orca representative on MS Maud, she is responsible for recording any and all marine life sightings or enthusing our guests about cetaceans through lectures and workshops.

If you are an early riser, you will often find Lauren out on the deck with her binoculars scanning the sea for any wildlife. It is whilst on wildlife watch that she gets to enjoy one of the best parts of her job – when guests occasionally mistake a log or buoy for a dolphin or seal. This is an experience Lauren knows all too well and enjoys sharing her own false sightings with people.

Being able to share these sightings and experiences with our guests is one of Lauren’s favourite parts of her job. One of her most memorable sightings came on MS Maud when she was sailing up the Norwegian coastline. After spending the day at the North Cape, they left Honningsvåg to continue sailing but were met by 10 Finn Whales who came to get a closer look at MS Maud. Following our whale sighting protocol, the captain stopped the ship and Lauren was able to share the news with guests and enjoy this sighting to top off a memorable day in Northern Norway.