Our staff

Oceanwide staff

The polar regions are what we do. From our expert expedition guides to our impeccable crew to our diversely skilled office staff, the OEX team is all about giving you the utmost experience of the Arctic, Antarctica, and the sub-Antarctic. Seasoned passengers of our own epic voyages, we bring to the table not only a love of the exotic polar world but also a combined wealth of expertise unrivaled by any other polar tour operator. Join us on one of our adventurous voyages, and let us share with you all there is to see, do, and explore in Earth’s most remote frontiers.

Expedition staff

  • Claudio Ghiglione
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Italian

Claudio was born in Italy in 1983. He is a nature photographer, expedition guide, and marine ecologist specializing in the polar regions.

Interested in science and nature since he was young, Claudio has a bachelor’s degree in marine environmental science, a master’s degree in marine science, and a PhD in earth, environmental, and polar sciences.

For several years he worked as a polar researcher, focusing mainly on the South Pole. His objective was to analyze and evaluate information used for ecological modeling and possible scenarios related to global warming. During the academic career, he actively takes part in scientific expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica.

In 2017 he started working as a full-time Oceanwide guide. Claudio uses his photos to tell stories and draw attention to animals and the environment. In 2019 he published a book entitled Polar Lights.

  • Eduardo Rubio
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Guatemalan

Eduardo is an astronomer with a passion for sharing nature with others.

  • Jan Belgers
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch

Jan Belgers was born in the Netherlands and currently lives in Rotterdam. He has been working as a professional outdoor guide and expedition leader for many years.

  • Rinie van Meurs
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Pippa Low
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: British
  • Ali Liddle
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: British
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  • Sara Jenner
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: British
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  • Adam Turner
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: British
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  • Florence Kuyper
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Philipp Schaudy
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Austrian
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  • Marcel Paul
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Christian Engelke
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: German
  • Hans Verdaat
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch

Activity staff

  • Henrik Enckell
  • Function: Dive Team Leader & Advisor
  • Nationality: Swedish

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.

  • Michael Green
  • Function: Dive Team Leader and Advisor
  • Nationality: British

Michael began diving in 1980, training with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Harbour.

Captains

  • Toni Salo
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Finnish

Born and raised in Turku, Finland, Toni grew up in a city with ancient seagoing traditions. He has loved sailing since he was a child, when he regularly went out with his grandfather to experience life on the high seas. Ever since, he has dreamed of sailing to far-away places and exploring the world. Toni served in a naval base near Helsinki for two years before starting his studies at Maritime University in 1999. He got his officer’s license in 2003 and spent the first ten years of his career working on cargo ships.

After many years of gaining experience, he finished his studies and got his Master mariner license in 2012. Toni moved to the expedition industry the following year and has no plans of leaving it. He loves the nature, wildlife, and delivering a great polar travel product.

Toni joined Oceanwide Expeditions in 2018. Even though he’s sailed the seven seas and loves all the new places he gets to visit, there’s still a special place in his heart for the tiny island in Finland where it all started 40 years ago.

When he is on leave, Toni enjoys reading, cycling, fishing, and photography.

  • Ernesto Barria
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Chilean

Ernesto Barria was born in Santiago, Chile, into a family with strong bonds to the sea: His father, grandfather, and several uncles all share a love of the ocean.

Read an interview here >
  • Remmert Koster
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Dutch

Remmert Koster was born in the Netherlands, and from a young age he was convinced he would become a captain.

  • Arthur Yakovlev
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Russian
  • Joachim Schiel
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: German
  • Evgeny Levakov
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Russian
Read more >

Office

Head Office:
Fax: +31 (0)118 410 417
USA & Canada reservations:
Fax: +1 (0)281 749 8220
  • Toto Vermue
  • Function: Sales Accountmanager
  • Nationality: Dutch
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  • Erik Hageman
  • Function: CFO
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Ko de Korte
  • Function: Consultant
  • Nationality: Dutch
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  • Andreas Diesing
  • Function: Key Account Manager for the German speaking countries
  • Nationality: German
  • Danique van Burken
  • Function: Senior Marketing Manager
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Teun van ‘t Verlaat
  • Function: Technical Superintendent
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Franklin Braeckman
  • Function: Antarctic Program Manager
  • Nationality: Belgian
  • Matt Cutts
  • Function: Content Writer
  • Nationality: American
  • Iris van Zalinge
  • Function: Sales Accountmanager
  • Nationality: Dutch
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  • Michel van Gessel
  • Function: Director
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Alexandra den Dikken
  • Function: Senior Graphic Designer
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Loraine van Huizen
  • Function: Online Marketeer
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Marina Joglar
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationality: American
  • Elza Back
  • Function: Account Assistant
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Piet Vink
  • Function: Managing Director
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Majanda Fens
  • Function: Reservations Manager
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Sebastiaan Schijf
  • Function: Financial Controller
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Stefan Pruimboom
  • Function: Staffing and Operations Advisor
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Karin Toornstra
  • Function: Reservations
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Florian J. Piper
  • Function: Director Sales | Arctic program
  • Nationality: German
  • Marie Rose Porreca
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationality: American
  • Gabi Merten
  • Function: Reservations for the German speaking market
  • Nationality: German
  • Maria del Pilar Fernandez
  • Function: International Sales Manager
  • Nationality: Chilean
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  • Nyrée Siereveld-Verstraete
  • Function: Account Assistant
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Dorine van Boekhout
  • Function: Reservations
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Adam Turner
  • Function: CXO - Head of Expedition Operations
  • Nationality: British
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  • Femke Wolfert
  • Function: Staffing Manager
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Jeroen Blanken
  • Function: Hotel Operations Manager
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Grace Vidal
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationality: American
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