Spitzbergen Explorer

Falls es interessiert, einige Vitas (in English) von Expeditionsmitgliedern

Ryan McDevit (Expeditionleiter)

Immersed in the high latitudes and surrounded by icebergs or tundra is not the first place you’d expect to find a native Floridian. Ryan's love for travel brought him to over fifty countries across six continents before discovering the wonders and wilds of the Polar Regions on an Antarctic expedition. He was bitten by the 'polar bug’!

Eager to continue spending time in these regions, Ryan joined the Quark team in 2017. He feels most at home while at sea aboard our expedition vessels and enjoys sharing with our guests his love for the remote wilderness and pristine beauty of the places we're fortunate to visit. When not onboard one of our ships, you'll likely find him roaming the forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest, North America, spending time camping, kayaking and hiking.

Ryan attended the University of Florida, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, specializing in travel and tourism management. He now combines his passion for the outdoors with his years of experience in the hospitality field to his guiding with Quark.

On his first ride in a Zodiac, Ryan fell in love with these remote areas of the planet. He now looks forward to welcoming our guests onboard and watching as they experience the same awe and wonder.

Ian Gordon

Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Ian served in the Australian Army for 39 years. Ian’s operational deployments took him around the world. He was proud to help resolve conflicts while serving in several United Nations peacekeeping missions. A bibliophile, he started an independent book-publishing business after retiring from the army in 2009.

Ian loves bush walking and has hiked extensively in the Australian Alps and in many coastal regions. As a keen scuba diver, Ian has dived around the Australian coast, off Papua New Guinea and in the Red Sea.

The story of polar exploration has been an enduring interest to him. He loves to talk about the expeditions of the early polar explorers who displayed unimaginable resilience in the face of enormous challenges.

Having first visited the Antarctic Peninsula with Quark Expeditions in 2012, Ian was amazed with the beauty of the unspoiled environment and the diversity of the wildlife. Ian has been with Quark as a guide and historian since 2019. During that season Ian was thrilled to visit the grave site of Sir Ernest Shackleton on the island of South Georgia, and to tell Quark’s guests the story of Shackleton’s final voyage and resting place. Ian loves to see Quark’s guests enchanted with the wild beauty of the polar regions and to leave them fascinated by the stories of polar exploration.

Jensina Sundberg

Jensina was raised between southeast Alaska and eastern Washington. Though both places are geographically diverse, she developed a great passion for the outdoors- be it through working on ranches and doing rodeo in Washington, or commercial fishing during summers in Alaska.

Jensina received a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and Education in 2018, and since then has worked in Commercial Fisheries Management in Juneau, Alaska. She is driven by a desire to understand the complexities that come with resource management by gaining a wholistic view that includes perspectives from all sides of the conversation. Jensina is very excited to spend the season in Antarctica as an Expedition Guide, and looks forward to sharing and creating beautiful, lifelong memories with all who join

Jen Ellinghaus

Jen fell hopelessly in love with icy landscapes on her first trip to Patagonia in 2009. One glacier literally brought her to tears, and she has followed them around the world ever since. This passion, combined with her love for wildlife and natural beauty, make the polar regions her perfect ‘happy place’. The sounds and silence of these magical wonderlands continue to blow her away.

Jen grew up in Melbourne, Australia, but has spent much of her adult life in her second home, London (UK). There she pretends to be a grown-up from time to time in ‘real jobs’, but she is 100% backpacker at heart. In fact, Jen is most at home on the road or at sea, not knowing what comes next but excited to find out.

Jen has been lucky enough to land a bunch of fun gigs around the world, from teaching yoga in Turkey to bar work in Guatemala. Her combined love for yoga and travel led her to write her first book, Yoga for Travellers, which has been published in English, French and Italian.

When she isn’t exploring the polar regions, you’ll find Jen backpacking, hiking, teaching yoga, and endlessly trying to master Spanish. Jen loves a chat and can’t wait to share her passion for the polar regions with you!

Artie Ahier

After reading Alfred Lansing’s Endurance at thirteen, Artie was gripped by the story of Shackleton’s Antarctic exploration and he developed a fascination with all things polar. His dream to visit one of the most exciting natural wonders of our planet was finally realized when he began working with Quark and visited Antarctica for the first time in 2017. From that date, he has reveled in sharing his passion for the Polar Regions with people from all over the world, helping them develop relationships with the wilderness that he hopes will last their lifetimes.

Artie grew up on the Restigouche River in eastern Canada, where he helped to run his family’s restaurant. However, when he got the chance to leave home, he began an adventure further afield. He married a chef, and they skippered motor yachts through Florida and the Caribbean. They ran remote luxury hotels and opened a restaurant in Tofino on Vancouver Island, where he has lived since 2000.

After 2015, a pull towards nature and the water brought him back to skippering boats on whale, bear and bird watching tours. Artie could not be more excited to live a life surrounded by nature on an almost daily basis. His deep knowledge of birds was earned through decades of bird watching. The beauty and fascinating habits of birds continue to enthrall him wherever he is. When not chasing birds, he can be found listening to music, paddling his SUP, and enjoying great food and wine.

Kristine Årøen

Born in southern Norway, Kristine grew up spending all her summers out in the many fjords and archipelagos on her family boat. This is where her love for the ocean began. From an early age she started hiking and skiing in the diverse nature of Norway. Her passion for the wilderness brought her up to northern Norway where she started studying guiding and arctic outdoor living. This brought her further to Svalbard, at 78 degrees north, where she lived for a year while completing her studies to be an outdoor guide.

Living in the Arctic, Kristine has done several expeditions on skis and by foot, crossing valleys and glaciers at Svalbard and the vast expanses of northern Norway. While not working for Quark she guides for local companies in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, bringing guests hiking, driving snowmobiles, exploring the glaciers, or kayaking in the beautiful and wild nature of The North.

When not working you can find Kristine knitting, discovering a new place, or learning a new activity. Her newest interest is kiting. It results in a lot of falls and bruises, but also a lot of fun. 

Ezequiel Benencia

Ezequiel (Eze) was born in Cordoba, Argentina, but has been living in Ushuaia, the ‘southernmost city in the world’, since 2009. From a young age, he has been passionate about outdoor sports, especially paddling and sailing.

This passion led him to explore some remote and incredible places by sailboat, such as Cape Horn, the Chilean fjords, and the Falkland Islands. He also sailed from Ushuaia to the Canary Islands, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 58 days, non stop! In 2018, Eze started working on a 77 ft. sailboat in Antarctica. He enjoys the challenge of navigating through the icy waters and the unique experience of working in such a remote location.

Eze is very sociable and enjoys connecting with people who share his interests. In his free time, he enjoys playing ice hockey, skiing, kayaking, climbing, and many other outdoor activities around the beautiful city of Ushuaia.

Kaiden Bosch

Kaiden (or Kai) calls the wild pacific coast of British Columbia home. Born and raised in a small community on the Sunshine Coast, he has taken a keen interest in the natural world for as long as he can remember. Some of Kaiden's earliest memories are of exploring the coastal fjords by boat with his family. He has worked and travelled all over Vancouver Island and the Great Bear Rainforest as a Kayak Guide, Outdoor Educator, and an Ornithology Assistant.

Kaiden's passion for the natural world, especially birds, has taken him across Central and South America. Expect to see him regularly scanning the seas with his binoculars looking for seabirds and marine mammals. Extended trips throughout the wilderness are some of Kaiden's favorite uses of free time. He once completed a 6-week solo kayaking adventure along the coast of British Columbia. As of late, his new favorite activity is freediving in the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest, allowing him to further his love of the ocean and exploration.

Jacqueline El Bahraoui

Für deutsche Gäste, hätte auch alle wichtigen Briefings oder Recaps übersetzt, wenn notwendig.

With Jacqueline’s love for the sea engrained in her family name (bahr – Arabic for “sea”), her path was predestined for life onboard. 

Born in Hamburg, Germany to a German mother and a Moroccan father, she developed a passion for traveling at an early age, visiting her family of fishermen in Morocco. 

In 2019, she combined her love for travel with her special interest in penguins and started working on ships sailing remote destinations. Her first trip to the polar regions reinforced her desire to learn more about nature and wildlife. Prior to that, she worked in the tourism industry for renowned luxury and boutique hotels in Germany and Japan. 

When Jacqueline is not on a ship, she is found enjoying the uplifting energy of music at concerts and festivals all over the world. At home, she practices her drumming skills or escapes into magical worlds within her favorite books.

Ema Kuhn

Originally from Brazil, Ema is passionate about the Polar Regions and considers Antarctica her second home since she first set foot there in 2005.

Always fascinated with life and nature, at age 13 she decided to become a biologist and dedicated eighteen years of her life to scientific research. Twelve years of her academic career were devoted to studying life in frozen environments.

An expert in polar ecosystems, Ema has published several research papers and book chapters and has a particular interest in how life adapts and evolves in cold environments. She received her master's degree from the University of São Paulo, where she worked with the Brazilian Antarctic Program, and her PhD from the Desert Research Institute, Nevada, USA, as a Fulbright scientist working with the US Antarctic Program and NASA's Icy World Project. Academic life gave Ema the opportunity to participate in eight Antarctic expeditions, exploring the Peninsula, Plateau (at 84°00'S/ 79°30'W), McMurdo Sound and the Dry Valleys, and an Arctic expedition to Barrow, Alaska.

Ema joined Quark Expeditions in 2017 and now spends four to six months a year in her favorite environment, teaching people from around the world. In 2017, she started her company in Brazil - Bipolar Scientific - giving talks and consulting services about the Polar Regions, life in cold environments and climate change to schools, universities, and the public.

Tara Mulvany

Tara grew up in southern New Zealand where she would spend her days jumping off rope swings and bridges into rivers, riding bikes, and running around in the mountains with her family.

During the summer of 2008, she worked her first season as a sea kayak guide in Fiordland, New Zealand. In search of adventure, she set off in 2012 to circumnavigate the South Island of New Zealand by kayak. The following year, she paddled alone around both Stewart Island and the North Island, becoming the first woman to circumnavigate New Zealand’s three main islands by sea kayak.

In 2014, Tara circumnavigated Vancouver Island, Canada. Then in 2015, she was part of a small team who completed the first kayak circumnavigation of Svalbard Archipelago in the high Arctic. During this 71-day adventure, they paddled with walrus and whales, traversed pack ice, navigated long open water crossings in thick fog and had many encounters with polar bears. It was on this journey that she developed a love of the Polar Regions, for their wild, barren landscapes, the midnight sun, and their unique wildlife.

Other adventures since then include paddling for 89 days alone along Norway’s coast, and exploring the west coast of Greenland by kayak. Tara has a huge love of adventure and wild places, and she strives to share this with others

Karl O'Neill

With a background in Natural Sciences, Karl became fascinated by the delicate wildlife and ecosystems of the Arctic and Antarctic. After a visit to Iceland in 2016, he made the drastic change from a life in rural England to that of an Arctic guide. His expertise covers a spectrum including marine mammals, ornithology, the physics of the northern lights, and the history of the Arctic and those who came here.

Karl is a friendly and approachable guide with extensive experience in Iceland and Svalbard and a passion for storytelling and teaching. He's eager to get to know you on board.

His advice to new visitors to the Arctic is to ask loads of questions. There is so much to learn and the expedition team is there to help.

When not onboard an expedition vessel Karl can be found wandering the woodlands of England looking for foxes and badgers.  

Amalia (Amy) Goodall

Amy was born in Ushuaia, Argentina, and grew up on a traditional Patagonian estancia (ranch). From a young age, she developed a strong passion for wilderness and outdoor activities. With a bachelor’s degree in tourism and a master’s in environmental management, she worked as a naturalist guide in Tierra del Fuego for several years. In 2008, she joined Quark Expeditions, and was instantly hooked on expedition travel.

Amy loves the sense of wildness and solitude of the Polar Regions. Her advice to first-time adventure travelers is to occasionally, put down your camera and take a minute to soak it all in. Experience this unique environment with all your senses: the sound of the ice crackling, the scent of the tundra, the vastness of the landscape, the texture of a feather or a piece of qiviut. These simple moments create powerful memories that cannot always be captured on film.

When not at work, Amy escapes the crowds and might be found hiking, climbing or backcountry skiing in the Fuegian Andes, or planning her next adventure in warmer latitudes

Pedrena Roofe (Pen)

Pedrena grew up in St. Catherine, Jamaica and moved to London, UK at a young age. Growing up on an island, Pedrena has always felt connected to nature. She has a strong interest in outdoor adventures, having new experiences, and Pedrena is also a passionate scientist, with a bachelor's degree in Biomedicine and a master's degree in Medical Microbiology.  

Pedrena first joined Quark for the Antarctic 21/22 season as a Laboratory Technician, where she discovered a new passion for the wildlife and unique character of the Polar Regions. Her most memorable polar expedition experience was in South Georgia, where she was surrounded by various birds, penguins, seals (including charming young seals) on King Haakon Bay. It was truly spectacular to walk among all the wildlife there.

Pedrena's other interests include hiking, paddleboarding, meeting people, and learning new things!

Ryan Seigel
Ryan II


With his little car packed full of snowboards, scuba tanks and kayak gear, Ryan left Ontario's lake country region and headed for Canada’s West Coast in 2010 to make Quadra Island his new backyard. In the rural communities of British Columbia’s northern Gulf Islands, Ryan indulges in his love of the mountains, the oceans and the wildlife that call this area home. While he spends his summers there guiding kayaking and conducting whale-watching tours, his love of outdoor sports has led him to migrate south for winter, often exploring underwater as a scuba instructor. He now lives on the remote off-grid island of Sonora, British Columbia.

 

Ryan grew up as a young interpreter on his parents’ nature tours, exploring in Africa, Asia and South and Central America and gaining an education brought about by delving into other cultures. His time in these locations was enriched by the sharing of local stories, and he brings a similar storytelling element to his nature interpretation.

 

Believing that through exploring we have a responsibility to learn more and preserve these beautiful ecosystems. Ryan has been working in the Polar Regions with Quark since 2018.

Michelle Sole

Michelle was born in England and raised between England and Andorra. As a result, she was educated in English, Spanish, French and Catalan. From the age of thirteen Michelle spent 10 years chasing winters around the world and competed for Great Britain as a downhill ski racer. Having always had a love for animals and the outdoors, in 2011 Michelle moved to South Africa. Here she completed her studies to become a field guide, continuing on to spend the next six years working as a safari guide and wildlife photographer, while traveling throughout southern Africa.

In 2017 Michelle swapped elephants and lions for penguins and polar bears and started working for Quark Expeditions. She now divides her time between the icy Polar Regions and the African sun.

Michelle’s photographic work has been published in Africa Geographic and The Guardian. In her free time Michelle can be found somewhere in the wilderness with her camera in tow. Czytaj więcej