Renowned marine conservationist, biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle will be joining the nine-day expedition cruise to Baja California and the Sea of Cortez onboard Aurora Expeditions’ ship named after her.

The voyage will be taking place on May 4-12, 2022, with an embarkation and disembarkation point at Pichilinque, Mexico.

“By traveling with Aurora Expeditions on the Sylvia Earle, I feel it is an incredible opportunity for people to learn about these extraordinary marine habitats in situ, and as a result, become ambassadors for protecting them,” Earle said.  “97 percent of the Earth’s water is ocean, it is our life support system, and we need to learn everything we can about it… I see great synergies in working closely with a company that shares my vision for the future and which is, from the top down, passionate about the marine environment.”

According to Aurora Expeditions, Earle has a deep personal connection to the Sea of Cortez, which was nominated as the first Hope Spot by her own conservation alliance Mission Blue. To date, Mission Blue has created a global network of 136 marine protected areas.

Expeditioners will be able to enjoy onboard talks by Earle and join her on immersive excursions by land and sea in the Gulf of California, the cruise line said in a press release.

“The voyage is the chance for explorers to see and learn about this extraordinarily rich and biodiverse marine environment and become ‘ambassadors’ for ocean conservation. Expeditioners will hear directly from Dr. Earle about the significance of climate change and why this is one of her designated Hope Spots and a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site,” Aurora Expeditions wrote.

Aurora Expeditions and the new Sylvia Earle ship, which is currently under construction in China, will support Mission Blue’s efforts with wildlife mapping, location photography and video – above and below the water – and ‘Citizen Science’ projects run by onboard expedition leaders to support marine research, the cruise line added.