Our Team

Mariano has been working in the Polar Regions for the last eight years, forming an essential part of the expedition teams on board Expedition Cruise Ships, or working as logistical support for film crews. Originally from Hurlingham, Argentina, son of a Captain and grandson of a whaler (Grytviken 1949-51), Mariano first sailed the Southern Ocean when he was a child. Drawn by this family tradition and his passion for exploration he began working in Antarctica as a zodiac driver at the age of 22, after obtaining his University degree in Communication Strategies in Buenos Aires. He specializes in Polar History of Exploration and has participated in over 95 expeditions in remote regions, leading expeditions in Antarctica as well as the Arctic in Svalbard (Spitsbergen), East and West Greenland, and Iceland. As expedition staff and photographer he also has worked in the Ross Sea, McMurdo Sound, Weddell Sea, South Georgia, Falkland Islands, Macquarie Island, Campbell & Enderby Islands and Canadian Arctic, and has gained experience in adventure activities while being part of logistics teams for diving, kayaking, helicopter ops, skiing and marathons. As a zodiac driver he has been categorized as an all-weather driver. Mariano joined ANTARCTICA XXI team in 2010 as Expedition Leader.

Mariano speaks Spanish and English.

André was born in Santos, Brazil and graduated in Oceanography by Rio Grande University in 1994. In the same year, he spent his first Antarctic winter on board the R/V “Nathaniel Palmer” cruising the Bellingshausen and Amundsen seas, reaching the farthest south position of a ship in these waters. His cruise partners and he earned them the Antarctic Service Medal of the National Science Foundation (USA). This cruise was the start up for a long Antarctic carrier, from Ross to Weddell seas in more than 800 days in Antarctic land, ice and (under)water. He continued the academic activities becoming “Doktor der Naturwissenschaften” by the Alfred-Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in 2002. Natural curiosity together with the academic formation pushed him to study the “the role of Antarctica in the Global Climate Change” for the last 15 years. During this time, he worked with other scientists in many Antarctic programs, focusing on physical and biological processes in sea ice, around the Antarctic Peninsula and the Weddell Sea. During his time working in Antarctica, André visited many beautiful places that (unfortunately) do not exist any more, as the Wilkins ice shelf and the calving front of the Pine Island Glacier’s ice shelf, claimed by global warming. Since 2007, André works as a senior researcher in the Oceanographic Observatory in Brazil, a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to providing information about the oceans and other environmental issues such as biodiversity and global warming, also in polar environments. In 2009 he joined the expedition team of ANTARCTICA XXI.

André speaks English, Portuguese, German and Spanish.

Agnès grew up in the French Alps and quickly became interested by exploring nature. Also conscious of the need of its protection and conservation, Agnès studied Environmental Law and Management. As a naturalist she is convinced that wonderment is the first step towards respect for nature and the environment and has various experiences as field guide. In 2005 she initiated and led a project concerning access to nature for disabled people, in partnership with the French Bird’s Protection League. After the virus of travelling she got the polar virus and became naturalist guide and lecturer aboard cruise ships, specialized in ornithology, history and geopolitics of the polar regions. At the same time she uses photography to share the beauty of these places and to raise awareness of this fragile environment. When she can, Agnès find also time to do hiking or mountain biking.

Agnès speaks English, Spanish and French.

Born in 1968 in Valparaíso, Chile, Rodrigo started his long-time love relationship with birds when he became an avid birdwatcher at the age of 10. This childhood passion evolved into his professional career, leading him to study Biology at Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and further specializing in Bird Biology with Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He came to Antarctica for the first time in 1991, and since then he has been visiting the White Continent both as a researcher and as an expedition leader, lecturer and zodiac driver on board expedition vessels. He has explored Chile´s whole length from the Northern Altiplano to Cape Horn and most of Southern Argentina while conducting research on bird biology and guiding groups of birdwatchers. Member of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Chilean Ornithologists Union, founder and member of the Directors Board of the Chilean Bird & Wildlife Research Network, besides from his Antarctic job he works as a researcher and birding guide in Chile and Southern Argentina, as an ornithological consultant and guide instructor for several nature-oriented hotels and lodges, as an environmental consultant and in environmental education projects with schools.

Rodrigo speaks English and Spanish.

Samuel lives in the wilderness of the Alps. As a child he learned about the birds, mammals, flowers and wildlife. Later he worked as volunteer with several associations concerned with environmental protection. Samuel has a degree in the biological sciences and the management and protection of natural areas. After completing his education he worked for 3 years as a naturalist guide at the French League for Bird Protection. With this organization he was responsible for all the educational projects with schools and universities. In addition, he led numerous field excursions to explore nature and to appreciate the wildlife in France and Spain. In 2005 Samuel over-wintered spending 15 months at the French Antarctic research station Dumont d’Urville in Adélie Land, Antarctica. While at the station he conducted surveys of Seals, Petrels, Skuas and both Adélie and Emperor Penguins. He returned to France in 2007 and has specialized as naturalist guide in the Polar Regions. He is actively working in the Antarctic, South Georgia, the Falkland-Malvinas Islands, Spitsbergen, Greenland, Canada and Iceland. In addition he is a photographer who uses his photographs in exhibitions, books and lectures.

Samuel speaks English and French.

Christian was born and raised on the West coast of Canada. As a child he has always had a passion for the ocean and the amazing animals within it. He currently lives in Victoria on Vancouver Island, which is also where he received his degree in Marine Biology in 2002 that he integrated more recently with an Environmental Technology diploma. Christian has spent most of his life working on the ocean as a biologist, skipper, environmental consultant and/or adventure guide. Since 2004 he has completed over 35 trips to the Antarctic Continent and quite a few to the North Pole. When not working as guide and lecturer in marine biology on expedition cruises, he acts as a guide on Vancouver Island where he works with the resident population of killer whales. He has a passion for these animals that is incomparable with anything else in his life. In recent years Christian has also been working as a research scientist for an aerial-based population and distribution study of marine mammals in Arctic waters, with the study largely focusing on the movement patterns of endangered bowhead whales. Recently, as an independently contracted biologist, Christian was responsible for conducting aerial surveys focusing on caribou and musk ox migration in Nunavut region, Alaska.

Christian speaks English.

Sandra was born, raised and educated in Switzerland and is a passionate outdoor photographer. Aboard MS Ocean Nova she is our expert on polar photography and visual documentation of early polar explorations, whaling and polar lights. In 2004, right after her Master’s degree in History and Film, she fulfilled her childhood dream by travelling to Iceland and Greenland. During this photography trip of 4 weeks she – not quite unexpectedly – caught the notorious “polar fever” that has never left her since. In the past years, Sandra has been taking part in various land-based travels and cruises in Antarctica and the Arctic, first as a photographer and later on as lecturer and guide. She therefore knows many “cool places” from first-hand experience: Antarctica, the Falklands, Franz Josef Land, Greenland, Iceland, Lapland, South Georgia, Svalbard as well as the Lofoten and Vesterålen Islands. Sandra’s photos can be found in newspapers, magazines, calendars, and books. In 2010, Sandra has published “Freeze! – Handbuch zur Polarfotografie”, a German user’s guide for photo amateurs heading to the polar regions. She is very keen on sharing her passion and knowledge with our passengers.

Sandra speaks English, German and Swiss German, beside some French and Italian.

Adrian Howkins is Assistant Professor of International Environmental History at Colorado State University where he teaches World Environmental History, Latin American History, and the History of Antarctica. He received a first class honours degree in modern history from the University of St Andrews in Scotland in May 2001 before moving to the United States to pursue doctoral research in history. In May 2008, he received his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin with a dissertation entitled “Frozen Empires: A History of the Antarctic Sovereignty Dispute between Britain, Argentina, and Chile, 1939-1959.” As part of his doctoral research he conducted research in archives and museums in Chile, Argentina, Great Britain, the United States, Norway, and the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas. He has received a number of grants and fellowships to support his research including the American Meteorological Society’s graduate fellowship in the history of science. Adrian has published a number of articles and essays related to the history of Antarctica in scholarly journals such as The Journal of Historical Geography, ISTOR, Environmental History, and The Polar Record. He is currently working on a book manuscript on the environmental history of the Antarctic Peninsula. In addition to his published work he has presented his work at academic conferences around the world, most recently at the SCAR Open Science Meeting in Buenos Aires, the Latin American Studies Association in Toronto, and the Western History Association in Reno, Nevada.

Adrian speaks English and Spanish

Captain of a twenty-six feet sailing yacht, Ignacio has the ability of finding ways of taking travel and adventure apart from the classic routes. Since he left his hometown near Buenos Aires for his first big journey, he always tried to live and learn from the local fishermen and natives in places such as Titikaka Lake, Antofagasta Desert Coast, and Fortaleza. Once back home, he decided to integrate his Marketing degree with a degree in Tourism at Buenos Aires University in 2009. Shortly after, this he started his own travel agency in Victoria, the sailing capital of Buenos Aires, were he is trying to promote river based tourism by exploring the shores of Argentina and Uruguay, in particular the challenging Parana Delta where more than 170 bird species can be found. His other passion, maritime history, took him in peculiar adventures such a descending the Areco and Salado rivers in Buenos Aires province. Inspired by the old tails and trying to master his sailing skills he has taken part in different regatta teams. In his spare time he writes articles for BAB, a well know nautical magazine in Argentina, about nautical activities in South America, wildlife and maritime history. Ignacio joined Antarctica XXI team in 2011.

Ignacio speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Daniel was born in the Canary Islands, Spain, and is a travel guide specialising in outdoor tours. With an international mountain leader and cannoning guide certification, he has been guiding groups since 1998 in many different countries from Europe, Africa and America sharing his passion for nature and ancient cultures with hundreds of clients. He has an extensive experience in tourism, having worked as director of a travel agency for several years and now being a freelance guide and event planner for many tour operators worldwide. As a passionate mountaineer and climber he has visited many of the world’s most impressive mountain ranges like the Pyrenees, Alps, Andes, and Himalayas, and enjoys exploring whether it be an unknown canyon in Cuba, kayaking into the wilderness of Patagonia or feeling the solitude of an African dessert. Photography is another of his passions as well as studying about the different cultures of the world.

Daniel speaks English, Spanish, German and French

A Chilean born ornithologist, Manuel received his PhD from Louisiana State University (USA) in Zoology/Ornithology. He was a former research director of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in California (USA), but is now currently living in central Chile. Besides being a researcher on Neo-Tropical birds he also occasionally leads bird-watching trips through Chile and on bird photography. Manuel publishes articles regularly in many international ornithological journals. Furthermore he also publishes many bird photographs in journals, catalogues and books. For the last 25 to 30 years he has been travelling extensively through many countries carrying out ornithological research and explorations. For the last 7 to 8 years he has been travelling and working in sub-Antarctic islands on penguin research. He had been on over 50 trips on tourist vessels to the Antarctic ice.

Manuel speaks English and Spanish.

Christian was born in California just outside of Sequoia National Park. After following a “bigger, better, mountains” theory, he now resides in Valdez, Alaska. He is an international backcountry snowboard guide working in Alaska, Chilean Patagonia, and Antarctica with over a decade of experience in the heli-ski industry in Alaska. Having spent time in the Juneau, Tazlina (Alaska), Northern and Southern Patagonia Icefields as an expedition leader and location scout, his passion for experiencing and sharing time in the mountains and glaciers has only increased. He is a commercial helicopter pilot in Alaska having flown glacier sightseeing tours, heli-skiing, fire fighting, arctic climate change science projects and mineral exploration. Christian has also guided whitewater rafting trips in the summertime in California.

Christian Spears English and is improving his Spanish.

Born in Punta Arenas, Chile, grandson from Croatian and Spanish immigrants, Sergio is a surgeon doctor from the University of Chile and graduated in Medicine and Surgery in the University of Bask Country, Spain. At the start of his carrier he participated in a mission in Saharaui refugees camps (South Algeria) as a member of “No frontier doctors” and later in a medical mission from “Jet Secours Internacional” during a meningitis epidemic in Kaduna, Nigeria. He has wide experience in the field of emergencies. Since 1999 he is instructor of the American Heart Association (AHA) in the programs of basic cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and, since 2007, he is course director of the American Pediatric Academy (AAP) in the programs of neonatal resuscitation (NRP) and Advanced Pediatric Life Support (APLS). Between March and April 2010 after the earthquake in Chile he was in charge of a medical mission sponsored by the Ministry of Health. His experience as onboard doctor started in the Compañía Sudamericana de Vapores sailing as merchant navy officer to the Gulf of Mexico and later to Hamburg. He has been onboard doctor on expedition cruises since 2001.

Sergio speaks Spanish, Catalan, French and, with some difficulties, English.

Born in the city of Concepcion, Chile, Cristián is a doctor currently performing functions in the Hospital Tomé, primarily in the Emergency Department and Surgery Unit, and other urgent care centres in the area. He has participated in several training activities, mainly focusing in the area of advanced life support in both cardiopulmonary and trauma. He managed to combine his work with his passion for travel, which led him to traverse much of Chile, particularly the Southern region and Patagonia, and part of South America. He has participated as Doctor in expedition cruises in Patagonia, Cape Horn and Antarctica.

Cristián speaks Spanish, English and French.

Born in Santiago de Chile, Pedro graduated from Advertising at the age of 22 and has since been working in various artistic environments. Exploring the arts of writing, music and photography, he has discovered a passion in appreciating and sharing experiences with people from all over the world, and his travels alongside his brother and spiritual guide Miguel to the southern parts of Chile and across Europe, made him realize the importance of being in constant contact with nature and the enormous value that lies in looking after all Flora and Fauna. Back in his hometown, Pedro co-founded an advertising agency where he continues to develop his expertise in design, persuasive writing and brand management, acknowledging that the key element for success in this field is to understand human behavior. He joined the ANTARCTICA XXI team in 2011 as Bar-Tender.

Pedro speaks Spanish and English.

Born in Patagonia and living in Punta Arenas, Cristián combines his training in Art and Photography with over 15 years experience in the travel and tourism industry throughout South America. He has managed to reach the most remote corners of this magnificent part of the planet. Cristián has led groups through Chile, Argentina and Brazil, learning and teaching about the diversity of places such as the Atacama Desert, the Wine Valleys of Chile, the Tropical Jungle of Iguazú and the vast Steppes, Glaciers and Mountains of Patagonia.

Cristián speaks English and Spanish.

Diana was born in Italy and graduated from Geneva University in Foreign Languages. Driven by her passion for Patagonia and Antarctica, in 1984 she settled in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, where she obtained the Argentine National Parks degree as local guide. She has been working with several naturalist and active tourism organisations, widening her area of expertise as far as Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares National Park. Thanks to her innate passion for sailing, she also worked for two years on commercial yachts offering charter exploration of the mythical Cape Horn. She was in Antarctica for the first time in 1988 on an Argentine Navy vessel escorting a group of tourists, and since then she returned several times as naturalist guide & lecturer, expedition leader and later on as international observer. Author of one of the first field guides on Antarctica, she also cooperated with the Argentine Government for Antarctic tourism management projects and founded the Antarctic Unit in Ushuaia, the first institution fully dedicated to Antarctic visitors. In 1995 she returned to Italy where she was recruited as logistics coordinator by the Italian Antarctic Program in the framework of a European scientific campaign dedicated to polar ozone research on board a Russian stratospheric aircraft, both in the Arctic and the Antarctic. In 2005 she was called by ANTARCTICA XXI to act as expedition leader, and two years later she enhanced her cooperation with ANTARCTICA XXI taking over the task of Product and Sales Manager. In 2010 she accepted a new professional challenge by becoming the Manager of Operations and Product.

Diana speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Brigitte was born in Ulm, in southern Germany, where she lived until the age of 20. After completing her studies, she decided to move to the End of the World to work at the German School in Punta Arenas. During this experience she developed a great passion for Patagonia and for travelling in general, which led her to start a new career in the world of tourism with full time dedication. After working in Spain in tourist complex in Costa Brava, her love for Chile persuade her to come back to South America and to settle permanently in Santiago de Chile. In 2003 she was called by a German-Chilean Tour Operator as Chief of Sales, and later on she took over the Sales Management for the same company. This 6 years experience allowed her to gather a deep knowledge of the Chilean tourist market. Brigitte jointed ANTARCTICA XXI in May 2010 with the task of Sales & Marketing Manager.

Brigitte speaks English, Spanish and German.

Claudio, musician and student in electrical engineering, was born in Los Angeles City, Chile. Between 1994 and 1998, he continued his studies in Temuco and had the privilege of visiting southern Peru, and Chile from Arica to Puerto Montt. In 2001 he travelled to Punta Arenas to perform his military service, and afterwards he decided to settle there. In 2003 he began studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Magellan. In November 2005 he was called by ANTARCTICA XXI to be trained as the company’s logistic representative at the Chilean Antarctic Frei Station on King George Island. The following summer he was appointed by the Chilean Antarctic Institute as field staff in charge of “Logistics Support – Electricity Generation – Antarctic Operations” within the 40th Antarctic scientific expedition. In following years he continued participating in ANTARCTICA XXI expeditions as “Frei Base Coordinator”. In 2010, after graduating as Electrical Engineer, became part of the permanent staff of ANTARCTICA XXI as Chief of Logistics in the Operation Department. Claudio is actively involved in his family business and in music projects.

Claudio speaks English and Spanish.

Sales & Booking Assistant – Sales & Marketing Department

Liliana was born and lived until her late teens in the mystical Tierra del Fuego Island in the town of Porvenir, Chile. Later on, she moved to the city of Valdivia where she graduated in Management of Tourism Companies in the year 2000 at the University of Valdivia. After completing her university studies, she entered the working world where she practiced in different areas as teaching, hospitality, adventure tourism and Antarctic tourism. Thanks to her deep interest in travelling and knowing other cultures, she has travelled around Chile, South America and North America, serving as well as a tourist guide in Ottawa, Canada. In her free time she enjoys the art of cuisine and complements it with sport activities and relaxation. Liliana stared working with ANTARCTICA XXI in 2008, with 3 years of previous experience in Antarctic tourism.

Liliana speaks English and Spanish.

Carolina was born in Punta Arenas, and after completing her studies at Universidad de Magallanes, she obtained her degree in Economics. Then she moved to Strasbourg, France to continue on her formation, earning degrees in Laws and Financial Management. Afterwards, she returns to her hometown, where her career takes a sudden change towards Tourism, as a lecturer and naturalist guide in the region of Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego, working 4 years in maritime expeditions between the Magellan Strait and Cape Horn. In this region she discovers a passion for nature and wildlife. She also studied at Universidad de Magallanes obtaining a certificate in Biodiversity of Patagonia.

Carolina speaks Spanish, English and French.