Our staff

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.

Jonny Baird grew up in the small village of Taynuilt near Oban on Scotland’s west coast, where he first discovered his passion for climbing and skiing. He is now based in the French Alps near the Chamonix Valley and has worked as an IFMGA-certified Mountain Guide since 2005.

Since 2017, Jonny has worked regularly as a mountaineering guide aboard the Oceanwide expedition ship Ortelius and as Lead Mountain Guide aboard Hondius on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Over the years, his deep appreciation for the Antarctic has grown—not only for its mountaineering potential but also for its unique and abundant wildlife.

In winter, Jonny primarily guides ski mountaineering trips across France, Italy, and Switzerland, with regular expeditions further afield. His Arctic guiding experience includes trips to Arctic Norway (Lofoten Islands, Kvaløya, Tromsø, and Arnøya), Greenland, and Iceland’s Troll Peninsula.

During the summer months, Jonny focuses on alpine climbing, mountaineering, and rock climbing, sharing more than 35 years of personal climbing experience with his clients. His climbing has taken him around the world, including the European Alps, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Canada, the U.S., Morocco, New Zealand, Australia, and of course Scotland, where it all began.

Beyond guiding, Jonny has worked in mountain safety for television, film, and photography projects. He is the co-author of a ski touring guidebook and has contributed to several online publications.

Jonny is a member of the Syndicat National des Guides de Montagne (SNGM), the French national mountain guiding association. Over the years, he has climbed, skied, and guided on every continent.

Arthur Yakovlev was born in Petrozavodsk, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Karelia, in northwestern Russia.

At the age of 15, he started training at the Maritime College in Petrozavodsk, where he graduated in 1999. At 18 he began his career as a seaman on a dry cargo vessel.

One year later, he was promoted as third officer on the same type of vessel, and later as second officer, working on various cargo vessels until 2007.

That same year, Arthur began work as a second officer on the passenger vessel Marina Cvetaeva, now Ortelius. As of 2008 he has worked for Oceanwide Expeditions, and in 2019 became a captain on Plancius.

Arthur never dreamed that most of his career would be spent in the polar waters, but he considers this his destiny and would not have it any other way.

He is married and has a son, and during vacation he enjoys spending most of his time with his family, while also traveling and enjoying nature.