Our staff

Sarah Gerats grew up in Belgium but lost her heart to the Arctic at an early age, first experiencing it as an exchange student at the Academy of Arts in Iceland.

In 2012 she took a trip to Spitsbergen and ended up extending her visit indefinitely. Sarah now works as an expedition leader and guide aboard sailing vessels both in the Arctic and Antarctica.

Sarah guides with enthusiasm and knows much about the archipelago’s terrain, wildlife, and history. Her main focus is the stories connected to Svalbard’s numerous locations as well as details about its rapidly changing landscape.

A year-round resident of Spitsbergen, Sarah knows the island’s daily life intimately and will make sure to tell you all about the darker months in the high north.

When not working at sea, you’ll find Sarah on her sailing boat along the Norwegian coast or on hiking-skiing trips around Svalbard. 

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

After completing nautical college, he sailed general cargo ships for several years before switching to heavy-lift ships, transporting such loads as offshore platforms, Dutch Royal Navy vessels, submarines, parts for petrochemical plants, dredgers, cranes, and other such items.

Since 2016 he has captained passenger vessels, starting with two mega-yachts and later becoming a captain with Oceanwide Expeditions on its Polar Class 6 vessel, Hondius.

Remmert is married and lives with his wife and her daughter in an old farmhouse in north Holland. When he’s not busy renovating the house, he likes to cook, travel, and spend time with his family and friends.