Expert Discovery Team

Scenic Eclipse Expert Discovery Team

The Scenic Eclipse Discovery Team is at the core of our Expedition Voyages. From ornithologists, historians, geologists, archaeologists, and marine biologists, each are leading experts in their fields.

The Discovery Team will provide enduring insights and safely guide you every step of the way. They’ll ensure you really get to the heart of the region you are exploring. From on board lectures in the state-of-the-art theatre, to guided kayak excursions and nature walks, coasting on Zodiacs in front of enormous glaciers, on stand-up paddleboards feeling the thrill of slicing your own oar blade through the purest of waters. The Discovery Team will share with you their passion for, and knowledge of, the magnificent Arctic & Fjords regions.

Meet some of our Arctic Discovery Team experts

Baldur Thorvaldsson

Polar Guide and Marine Mammal Lecturer

There’s an remarkable power to sustainable and ethical wildlife tourism. It really encourages people to appreciate the world around them in a fullyimmersive way. As a marine naturalist and polar guide with an MSc degree in Ecotourism, Baldur has completed 50 polar voyages to date. He has guided hundreds of whale-watching tours in his home country of Iceland, Norway and the Azores, and observed over 50 species of marine mammals. Much like the Scenic guests, for Baldur working as a Discovery Leader really means no two days are the same. Every day is a new discovery, that’s the joy of watching wildlife in their natural habitat. You just never know what you will see that day.

Jonathan Fuhrmann

Geology, Glaciology, Lecturer, Assistant Discovery Leader

Jonathan has worked on expedition cruise ships on all seven continents since 2015, and in that time his love for the Polar regions and great mountain ranges has deepened beyond belief. Wanting to know more about the earth hadn’t always been his journey. Jonathan initially started an Economics degree at the University of Cambridge, but soon switched focus to Geography, completing a MPhil in Glaciology at the Scott Polar Research Institute. Today, Jonathan enjoys speaking on subjects ranging from glaciology and geology to astronomy, volcanology and photography. He hopes to give Scenic guests a deeper understanding of the beautiful wild landscape, and its importance to our planet.

Pepe Rojas

Ornithologist & Lecturer

As an ornithologist and field researcher, Pepe has dedicated most of his life to nature and conservation. Leading many expeditions on land and sea, from the Polar regions to the Amazon rainforest, he takes joy in leading guests into the lesser explored parts of the world. Originally from Peru, his love for the Arctic was instantaneous. Pepe fell in love with its unrivalled beauty, created by the landscape and light. The native wildlife in this limitless ice scape is truly outstanding. He is an avid bird watcher, growing up watching and listening to West Peruvian Doves, Long-tailed Mockingbirds, and Rufous-collared Sparrows on the Pacific coast of his hometown in Lima. It is something that still bewitches him today, with the iconic spoonbilled sandpipers, a bird that breeds only in the Polar regions.

Dr. Terence Christian

Historian, Archaeologist, Discovery Leader

Terence’s first adventure abroad took him across Scandinavia. From that moment, he was bitten by the travel bug and has since explored the majority of the world’s continents and oceans as an expedition leader, expedition guide, Zodiac driver and even as a bear guard. As a conflict archaeologist and military historian, he examines the remnants of the past. His most extensive archaeological research focuses on the history and archaeology of the 18th to early 21st-century. With a particular interest in global conflict, historic preservation, aviation archaeology, experimental archaeology, and historic ballistics. Getting beneath the surface of a region is like stepping back in time, and truly knowing its journey to today. BACK TO CONTENTS