From a young age, Arjen could be found outside with his binoculars, looking for birds and mammals. It came as no surprise, then, when he decided to study biology.
During his studies in plant-animal interactions, he was asked to do a field project on barnacle geese in Ny Ålesund, Spitsbergen. After just a few days in the high Arctic, he knew for certain: He would come back to this place.
Clearly bitten by the Arctic bug, Arjen managed to stretch his research project over three summers, after which he was asked by Oceanwide Expeditions to guide on a trip around Spitsbergen.
Even though he still thinks Kongsfjord is one of the most beautiful fjords, the offer from Oceanwide was a great opportunity to see the rest of the Svalbard archipelago.
After working on polar ships, however, he never looked back.
During his first years on board, Arjen also taught biology in the Netherlands, but now he has given up teaching and become a full-time expedition leader and guide.
In his free time, Arjen likes to hike and is a keen nature photographer, filmmaker, and co-author of Dutch books on photography. He is still on the lookout for a nice bird or mammal and is happy to share his passion for the polar regions, or simply share a story in the bar.
