Our staff

Rinie van Meurs has been an expedition leader since 1989, leading hundreds of expeditions all over the polar regions. The Arctic island of Spitsbergen, the largest in the Svalbard archipelago, is as familiar to him as his own back yard.

After he finished his education in forestry management and nature conservation, Rinie traveled the world to photograph and study wildlife, living for almost a year in the Falklands.

Many of his photographs have been published in magazines and photography books.

Rinie has also written several books about the polar regions, including a coffee table book about areas that are off the beaten track.

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.

Per Andersson first embarked on his maritime odyssey in 1985 as a deckhand aboard the St Karso, navigating the Baltic Sea. This experience laid the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to the maritime world.

Transitioning to oil tankers navigating the formidable waters of the UK, Per attained an Officers license by 1988, underscoring a burgeoning dedication to maritime proficiency. Ascending to the role of Chief Officer, he commanded diverse commercial vessels across the Baltic and North Sea, each voyage contributing to the refinement of his navigational expertise.

In 1995, the realization of a captaincy position aboard a cargo vessel marked a zenith in Per’s career, but an enduring affinity for unexplored regions of the world led him to an expedition ship bound for the high Arctic.

The historic passage through the White Sea Canal in 2009, as the lone western passenger ship to achieve such a feat, epitomized the intersection of Per’s navigational acumen and adventurous spirit.

Assuming the role of Captain with Oceanwide Expeditions in 2021, captain Per orchestrates expeditions through the Arctic and Antarctic aboard M/V Ortelius, perpetuating a legacy marked by exploration, leadership, and environmental stewardship.