Nuestro Equipo

Katja grew up in Germany, where she completed her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Chemistry.

For her research, she spent the winter of 1997 at the German Antarctic Base Neumayer, where she was responsible for the Atmospheric Observatory.

Since then she has been on several scientific expeditions to Antarctica, measuring ozone at Scott Base, drilling ice cores at Law Dome, and taking samples of 120,000-year-old ice on Taylor Glacier in the Dry Valleys.

Katja worked for more than 12 years as a research scientist in Wellington, New Zealand, where her research interests were greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and in ice cores.

Since 2011 she has worked as a guide and lecturer on expedition cruises in the Arctic and Antarctica.

The polar regions have always fascinated Katja.

She has skied over 220 km (140 miles) through Svalbard, sailed in a small yacht to Antarctica, kayaked various polar waters, and worked as a science assistant in West Greenland.

Her fondest memories of Antarctica are building a 24-hour sundial and sledging from Hut Point to the Erebus Ice Tongue. Most recently, she skated 250 km (155 miles) across Lake Baikal in Siberia.

Life is an adventure for Katja. Whenever she can, she travels, hikes, cycles, sea kayaks, and skis to Earth’s remote and beautiful places.

When she is not traveling, she lives in New Zealand and works as a freelance guide, science communicator, and photographer.

Katja speaks fluent English and German.

Michael began diving in 1980, training with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Harbour.

After leaving the Navy, he continued to dive mainly around the UK, diving wrecks and always looking for a new story.

He is qualified as a dive instructor with BSAC and PADI and is certified to operate Drager Dolphin and Buddy Inspiration rebreathers.

Michael has worked for Oceanwide Expeditions for five years and enjoys giving divers a safe and exploratory experience in the polar regions.

Michael’s biggest tip for polar divers is to slow down, look around, and enjoy the environment.

He looks forward to enjoying it with you.

Born and raised in Turku, Finland, Toni grew up in a city with ancient seagoing traditions. He has loved sailing since he was a child, when he regularly went out with his grandfather to experience life on the high seas. Ever since, he has dreamed of sailing to far-away places and exploring the world. Toni served in a naval base near Helsinki for two years before starting his studies at Maritime University in 1999. He got his officer’s license in 2003 and spent the first ten years of his career working on cargo ships.

After many years of gaining experience, he finished his studies and got his Master mariner license in 2012. Toni moved to the expedition industry the following year and has no plans of leaving it. He loves the nature, wildlife, and delivering a great polar travel product.

Toni joined Oceanwide Expeditions in 2018. Even though he’s sailed the seven seas and loves all the new places he gets to visit, there’s still a special place in his heart for the tiny island in Finland where it all started 40 years ago.

When he is on leave, Toni enjoys reading, cycling, fishing, and photography.