The Sylvia Earle is set to become Aurora Expeditions’ second purpose built expedition ship. At 104 meters long, the ship is being built in China and is part of SunStone’s Infinity class series of vessels. She is named after the acclaimed marine biologist and oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle.

Ship: Sylvia Earle

Cruise Line: Aurora Expeditions

Capacity: 130 passengers

Shipyard: China Merchants Heavy Industries Estimated Delivery Date: fall 2021

Features and Design: The Sylvia Earle features the X-BOW by Ulstein Design & Solutions, which is essential to the speed, agility, and fuel efficiency of the ships in the Aurora Expeditions fleet. Due to a combination of low energy consumption, high fuel-efficiency, and a streamlined design, the Aurora Expedition claims its ships to be “one of the lowest polluting marine engines in the world.”

The Sylvia Earle will have eight decks and 70 cabins. The Sylvia Earle Science Center and Lounge will offer onboard citizen science programs. The vessel’s Library is being designed as a peaceful sanctuary where guests can read non-fiction books, play board games, and organize their photos on dedicated devices. At the Lecture Theater, guests will be able to learn from Aurora’s experts.

There will also be an aft swimming pool, two jacuzzis, and lounging areas.

Sylvia Earle’s interior design was created by Tomas Tillberg, managing partner of Tomas Tillberg Design and his team, the same team that was behind Sylvia Earle’s sister ship Greg Mortimer’s interior design.

The inside of the Sylvia Earle will have a natural color palette, taking inspiration from the natural areas that she will travel to.

The Sylvia Earle will feature a unique two-level glass atrium lounge in the bow, offering views out of the front of the ship. In polar regions, this means that passengers will be able to see icebergs immediately as they appear on the horizon.

Debut Season: The Sylvia Earle will launch in November 2021 in Ushuaia, Argentina. The maiden voyage will be a 21-day round itinerary visiting the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the Antarctic Peninsula, and sailing through the Drake Passage.

Following Itineraries: The ship will offer many new destinations within the Aurora Expeditions program, including Alaska, Baja California, the Russian Far East, Raja Ampat, and West Papua.