Ons team

Oceanwide staff

Onze vriendelijke en behulpzame collega's zijn u graag van dienst. Ze kunnen alle relevante vragen over onze reizen, de bestemmingen en de schepen van Oceanwide Expeditions beantwoorden. Ze werken allemaal reeds vele jaren met veel enthousiasme voor Oceanwide Expeditions en hebben ook allemaal één of meerdere expeditie reizen naar het Noordpoolgebied en Antarctica meegemaakt, waardoor ze de poolgebieden uit eerste hand kennen. 

Expedition staff

  • Claudio Ghiglione
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Italian

Claudio was born in Italy in 1983. He is a nature photographer, expedition guide, and marine ecologist specializing in the polar regions.

Interested in science and nature since he was young, Claudio has a bachelor’s degree in marine environmental science, a master’s degree in marine science, and a PhD in earth, environmental, and polar sciences.

For several years he worked as a polar researcher, focusing mainly on the South Pole. His objective was to analyze and evaluate information used for ecological modeling and possible scenarios related to global warming. During the academic career, he actively takes part in scientific expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica.

In 2017 he started working as a full-time Oceanwide guide. Claudio uses his photos to tell stories and draw attention to animals and the environment. In 2019 he published a book entitled Polar Lights.

  • Christian Engelke
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: German

Since his first vacation to Norway in 1996, Christian Engelke has suffered from “Scandinavia fever.” Since then he has been exploring Norway, Sweden, and Greenland by foot, skis, and kayak.

  • Eduardo Rubio
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Guatemalan

Eduardo is an astronomer with a passion for sharing nature with others.

  • Hans Verdaat
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Sara Jenner
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: British
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  • Rinie van Meurs
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Florence Kuyper
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Pippa Low
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: British
  • Ali Liddle
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: British
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  • Adam Turner
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: British
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  • Philipp Schaudy
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Austrian
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  • Marcel Paul
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Jan Belgers
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch

Activity staff

  • Henrik Enckell
  • Function: Dive Team Leader & Advisor
  • Nationaliteit: Swedish

Henrik is an experienced dive leader, rebreather instructor trainer, and one of the first dive masters to bring tourists diving in Antarctica.

Henrik has been diving for over 25 years and teaches all levels of recreational and technical diving up to Advanced Trimix CCR.

He runs the IART (International Association of Rebreather Trainers) Regional Office for Northern Europe and is a member of the IART Board of Advisors.

Henrik is a keen wreck diver and has been involved in deep-wreck expeditions all over the world. Some of the interesting wrecks he has visited are the WW2 disasters General von Steuben and Wilhelm Gustloff in the Baltic as well as the HMS Victoria ("the vertical wreck") at 145 meters (475 feet) off the Lebanese coast.

His interest in both the ocean and space has engaged him in projects with the European Space Agency (Mars500 Project) and SeaSpace Exploration and Research Society (Project Poseidon), among others.

He has a military background, having served in peace keeping and enforcing missions in the Middle East and former Yugoslavia.

He has been leading dive expeditions in Antarctica and the Arctic for almost 20 years in remote and challenging waters, many of which have never been dived before.

Henrik holds an M.Sc. Degree in Electrical Engineering and works in the automotive industry when not traveling the polar regions.

He has lived and worked in Tokyo for two years but currently lives in India with his wife, three teenage daughters, and five-year-old son.

  • Michael Green
  • Function: Dive Team Leader and Advisor
  • Nationaliteit: British

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

Captains

  • Ernesto Barria
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationaliteit: Chilean

Ernesto Barria was born in Santiago, Chile, into a family with strong bonds to the sea: His father, grandfather, and several uncles all share a love of the ocean.

A beach guard by the age of 16, Ernesto’s favorite sport when he was young was swimming. When he finished high school, he moved to Puerto Montt, one of the most important ports in Chile. There he started his studies to become a merchant marine officer.

By his graduation in 1991, he’d already begun to sail on different vessels around Puerto Montt.

Ernesto became first officer of Antarctic Dream in 2005, beginning by navigating in Antarctica and later the Arctic. In 2011 he obtained the rank of captain, and in 2015 he was chosen as the best officer of the Chilean merchant navy.

Ernesto became a captain for Oceanwide Expeditions on Ortelius in 2013.

When he’s not working, Ernesto loves to travel around Chile with his family. He enjoys scuba diving, swimming, cycling, and photography, which has become his favorite hobby.

Read an interview here >
  • Arthur Yakovlev
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationaliteit: Russian

Arthur Yakovlev was born in Petrozavodsk, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Karelia, in northwestern Russia.

  • Evgeny Levakov
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationaliteit: Russian

Evgeny Levakov was born in a small village not far from Nerekhta, an ancient Russian town in the Kostroma region. The closest water to his village was a 15,000 square-meter pond.

Read an interview here >
  • Joachim Schiel
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationaliteit: German
  • Toni Salo
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationaliteit: Finnish
  • Remmert Koster
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch

Office

Head Office:
Fax: +31 (0)118 410 417
USA & Canada reservations:
Fax: +1 (0)281 749 8220
  • Marina Joglar
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationaliteit: American
  • Danique van Burken
  • Function: Senior Marketing Manager
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Elza Back
  • Function: Account Assistant
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Femke Wolfert
  • Function: Staffing Manager
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Nyrée Siereveld-Verstraete
  • Function: Account Assistant
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Piet Vink
  • Function: Managing Director
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Stefan Pruimboom
  • Function: Staffing and Operations Advisor
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Dorine van Boekhout
  • Function: Reservations
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Karin Toornstra
  • Function: Reservations
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Jeroen Blanken
  • Function: Hotel Operations Manager
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Marie Rose Porreca
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationaliteit: American
  • Loraine van Huizen
  • Function: Online Marketeer
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Florian J. Piper
  • Function: Director Sales | Arctic program
  • Nationaliteit: German
  • Andreas Diesing
  • Function: Key Account Manager for the German speaking countries
  • Nationaliteit: German
  • Majanda Fens
  • Function: Reservations Manager
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Grace Vidal
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationaliteit: American
  • Erik Hageman
  • Function: CFO
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Michel van Gessel
  • Function: Director
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Matt Cutts
  • Function: Content Writer
  • Nationaliteit: American
  • Ko de Korte
  • Function: Consultant
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
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  • Franklin Braeckman
  • Function: Antarctic Program Manager
  • Nationaliteit: Belgian
  • Adam Turner
  • Function: CXO - Head of Expedition Operations
  • Nationaliteit: British
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  • Toto Vermue
  • Function: Sales Accountmanager
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
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  • Alexandra den Dikken
  • Function: Senior Graphic Designer
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Iris van Zalinge
  • Function: Sales Accountmanager
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
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  • Teun van ‘t Verlaat
  • Function: Technical Superintendent
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Sebastiaan Schijf
  • Function: Financial Controller
  • Nationaliteit: Dutch
  • Gabi Merten
  • Function: Reservations for the German speaking market
  • Nationaliteit: German
  • Maria del Pilar Fernandez
  • Function: International Sales Manager
  • Nationaliteit: Chilean
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