Captain Bjarne Larsen passed away on Saturday, Feb. 17, while aboard the Seabourn Quest in Antarctica, according to reports.

“The entire Seabourn team is saddened by the passing of Captain Bjarne Larsen,” said Richard Meadows, president of Seabourn. “The captain’s family is in our thoughts and prayers as they mourn his loss.”

The longtime Seabourn captain was an ice expert with significant nautical operations experience in Antarctica and Scandinavia. 

Larsen joined Seabourn in 2009, following stints at Fred. Olsen and Hurtigruten.

“I look back to four years of fun, laughter and adventures with Bjarne; from fishing in Svolvaer to renewing wedding vows and visiting Palmer Station in Antarctica,” commented Philipp Reutener, a hotel director with Seabourn, in a post on LinkedIn.

Memorial details were not immediately available. 

Update: This article has been updated with comments from Rick Meadows, president of Seabourn.