Nuestro Equipo

Philipp Schaudy holds a Master’s Degree in Physical Geography and has studied in Austria, Iceland, and Svalbard. A restless traveler, adventurer, and alpinist, he’s always loved the outdoors.

Doing the bulk of his travel by bicycle, Philipp has visited more than 80 countries and set foot on all seven continents. He earns a living in his homeland of Austria by giving talks about his long trips and expeditions.

Philipp first visited Svalbard in 1998, and from 2004 to 2006 he and his wife lived in Longyearbyen. There they experienced not only the midnight sun, but also the magic of the polar night.

It was during these years that Philipp started working as a tour guide. In the cold months he led snowmobile trips into the Svalbard wilderness, and during the summers he led guests on glacier hiking trips.

Since 2005 Philipp has worked for Oceanwide Expeditions as a guide, lecturer, and expedition leader, taking voyages to some of the wildest places on Earth. 

He considers himself a victim of the polar virus and can attest that it’s highly contagious. 

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

At the age of 15, he started training at the Maritime College in Petrozavodsk, where he graduated in 1999. At 18 he began his career as a seaman on a dry cargo vessel.

One year later, he was promoted as third officer on the same type of vessel, and later as second officer, working on various cargo vessels until 2007.

That same year, Arthur began work as a second officer on the passenger vessel Marina Cvetaeva, now Ortelius. As of 2008 he has worked for Oceanwide Expeditions, and in 2019 became a captain on Plancius.

Arthur never dreamed that most of his career would be spent in the polar waters, but he considers this his destiny and would not have it any other way.

He is married and has a son, and during vacation he enjoys spending most of his time with his family, while also traveling and enjoying nature.