Our staff

Ali Liddle grew up in the north of England where, after leaving school, she qualified as a primary school teacher.

After working in a rural school in Cumbria, she traveled Australia and New Zealand, taking a job as a teacher in the Falkland Islands, living on remote farms and teaching children at home.

A year later, she spent nine months overwintering on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, where she served as a post mistress.

Returning to the Falkland Islands again, Ali continued to teach, taking a job at the primary school in Stanley and staying there for the next 15 years.

A subsequent job with Falklands Conservation allowed her to complete a project in environmental education, developing curriculum resources. This led to work as a local tour guide.

Ali has been with Oceanwide Expeditions since 2010, working as a guide, lecturer, and expedition leader in Antarctica and the Arctic. She loves sharing her passion for the polar regions, especially the sub-Antarctic.

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

After leaving the Navy, he continued to dive mainly around the UK, diving wrecks and always looking for a new story.

He is qualified as a dive instructor with BSAC and PADI and is certified to operate Drager Dolphin and Buddy Inspiration rebreathers.

Michael has worked for Oceanwide Expeditions for five years and enjoys giving divers a safe and exploratory experience in the polar regions.

Michael’s biggest tip for polar divers is to slow down, look around, and enjoy the environment.

He looks forward to enjoying it with you.

Born near the German city of Cologne, Joachim Schiel grew up some distance from the coast. His first contact with vessels came from the yearly sailing trips he made with a youth group on the Baltic.

After finishing school, serving in the military, and working a few different jobs, he started an apprenticeship in boat building. It was not long, however, before he realized he would rather work on vessels at sea than in the shipyard.

So in 1998, he started his sailing career on tall ships. Over the following years, he sailed during the summer and attended nautical college in Enkhuizen during the winter. This led to sailing on many different vessels all over the world before he became a captain in 2006.

He first sailed to Svalbard in 2009 and instantly fell in love with the Arctic, preferring to sail in the far north ever since. He has been on Rembrandt van Rijn since 2017, making voyages in Northern Norway, Svalbard, and East Greenland.

When Joachim is not sailing the polar regions, he likes to go hiking and diving in the warmer areas of the world.