1. How did you wind up at urtigruten HX Expeditions?

I was working for the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust at Port Lockroy and urtigruten HX Expeditions was really helpful assisting with our logistics. I was impressed by how they give back to the community and I also made some good friends on board MS Fram! When I finished with the Heritage Trust I was asked if I would like to come and lecture on board trips to Antarctica. So I started as an Expedition Team member before coming Expedition Leader and moving into the office!

2. What is your favorite part of your job?

Sailing on the ships and seeing how our guests react, especially in our Science and Education Program, also sharing my passion for Antarctica with our guests. We are here for them and it is very important that everyone in the company remembers that – sharing time with guests is a real highlight for me.

3. What do you love about the company?

urtigruten HX Expeditions is extremely forward thinking and trying to change the peoples’ behaviors through our Sustainability and Science and Education programs. This is an open door and we are setting ambitious targets that we hope to make a difference. Accountability and transparency are key – I feel we are very transparent which enables us to set targets and also challenge others.

4. What is your favorite destination?

Antarctica – easy….

5. Most memorable/meaningful wildlife encounter?

There are so many, but watching animals in their natural habitat, getting on with their daily business is just amazing, the more remote and extreme the better!

6. Tips for first-time cruisers?

Go with an open mind, sense of humor, and a pair of binoculars. Always keep a look out, you never know what you will see!

7. Favorite book about travel? Or travel tale?

Although not a travel book per se, ‘Worst Journey in the World’ by Apsley Cherry-Garrard is must read.

8. What excites you about expedition travel? How do you see it changing?

Having a journey with a meaning into the unexpected, you cannot set a fixed itinerary, so it is a true expedition. Coming across the unexpected and dealing with the weather is all a challenge, but also part of the joy.

The mix of onboard luxury and the off-ship harshness really provide stark contrasts on the day to day life but gives us the experience of what it was like for the explorers of the past.

We will become more environmentally focused in the future and look at making sure we leave a positive impact on the places we sail. Seeing really is believing so we need to make sure people do understand the relationships and the fragility among the places we sail.

9. What excites you about our role in preserving Antarctica for future generations?

When we go to places like Antarctica, we all have a responsibility to leave it in a better place than when we visited, so we need to give back. To quote Sir David Attenborough ‘People will not protect what they have not experienced.’ This is really important and the ethos of what we do, so ensuring our guests get a deep understanding of the places we sail and can make their own adjustments in their lives inspires me.