Seabourn has announced its expedition team for its Antarctica adventures aboard the Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit. 

Seabourn’s Expedition Team leaders, who specialize in fields such as geology, wildlife biology, volcanology, ornithology, conservation and more, will lead the company’s expeditions to Antarctica between November 2023 and March 2024, the company said in a statement. 

“We worked tirelessly to assemble a truly elite team of talented, world-renowned experts with diverse experiences, including being among the top expedition canoeists in the world, starring in a BBC series, serving 20 years in the Royal Navy and lecturing at California State University,” said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn. “Our goal was to curate extraordinary experiences for these once-in-a-lifetime adventures, and our experts bring these unique destinations to life. From guided tours and onboard lectures to conversations over lunch or dinner, we believe that these interactions are what make Seabourn’s expeditions so special.”

The Expedition Teams onboard the Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit will offer plenty of opportunities to view wildlife and will guide experiences via Zodiac cruising, kayaking and hiking. The teams also feature submarine pilots who will take guests below sea level via the ships’ U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7 submarines capable of descending up to 300 meters.

 These experts onboard will also be sharing insights and in-depth knowledge on the history, ecology and culture of respective regions.

Seabourn’s Expedition Leaders include: 

• Juan Restrepo – holds a graduate degree in geology; 
• Luciano “Luqui” Bernacchi  – worked as a mountain guide, ski guide, naturalist guide, and birding guide throughout Argentina; 
• Dominic “Dom” Del Rosario – worked on ships for the last 20 years, including expedition voyages to the Antarctic, Arctic, Russian Far East, Kimberley’s of Australia, Asia, and the South Pacific;
• Nicki D’Souza – has more than 25 years of experience in expedition cruising; 
• Adam Jenkins – a field biologist for NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Antarctic Program;
• Ignacio “Iggy” Rojas – has 20 years of experience in expedition travel, including leading 20 uninterrupted seasons in Antarctica.

Assistant Expedition Leaders are: Patrick Demus; Fridrik Fridriksson; Claudio Schulze; and Chris Clarke. 

Seabourn’s submarine pilots are Dr. Merel Dalebout; Travis Wadeley; Isaac Blanquez; and Seb Coulthard. 

Lecturers: Dr. Rachel Cartwright; Dr. Lida Teneva; Ross Ellingwood; Michael Woodward; Brent Houston; Alexandra Nemeth; and Pepe Rojas.

Seabourn’s kayak guides: Robert Egelstaff and Tim Thomas.

Photographers/Videographers: John Shedwick and Taylor Gray.