Expedition Leader

Leader

For a volcanic archipelago, Galapagos doesn’t see too many eruptions. So when the call came over the radio of the bridge of National Geographic Islander that nearby Wolf Volcano was spewing lava into the sea, the ship’s expedition leader made the call along with the captain to change course and sail straight to the volcano. Guests aboard would be the first on the scene to see the lava rolling into the boiling sea, and footage shot by the ship’s video chronicler would play on news stations around the world the next day.

It’s these kinds of once in a lifetime experiences expedition leaders enable for guests. In this case, it helped that the expedition leader and captain had lived and worked in Galapagos for over three decades. That they had the trust of every person in the national park service who would need to give them permission to approach the island. And that they sailed with the full confidence of Lindblad Expeditions senior leadership and were empowered to make the decision to deviate from the plan on the fly.

Expedition leaders have worked in their fields and in the geographies where they sail for years. Most have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They are deeply experienced naturalists, biologists, and historians who have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, experience and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for guests.

They are empowered with the personnel, resources, and opportunities to ensure remarkable expedition experiences. Their institutional knowledge is virtually impossible to match. When wind or weather might preclude a certain landing, they're using their local knowledge and collaboration with the captain to reach a more protected spot where you can go ashore safely—to actively explore. And, because an expedition depends on flexibility and the ability to take advantage of unexpected moments, they will often rewrite the day’s plan on the fly or make an announcement just as dinner is being served if a 40-ton humpback whale suddenly surfaces nearby, bow-riding dolphins appear, or a pod of narwhals is spotted.

The caliber of the expedition leaders and their teams is the reason the Lindblad name is respected in the travel industry, and guests continually entrust their safety, valuable time, and intelligent curiosity to them.

Expedition Leader

Jason Heilmann

Growing up in northern California, Jason was surrounded by the incomparable nature of the Pacific Northwest. While attending university there, Jason met and eventually married an Ecuadorian woman who happened to be from a small group of islands off the coast of western South America. It was thus that Jason’s path led him to Ecuador and, in time, to one of the most revered natural environments on earth, the Galápagos Islands. Having found his niche in the Galápagos, and eventually becoming a professional SCUBA diver, Jason volunteered as a dive assistant on various scientific projects. Developing his enthusiasm for nature, in 1999 Jason took the only logical course: the Galápagos National Park naturalist program. Interpretation of the Galápagos, whether in the underwater realm or on land, has become a passion with Jason. Eventually he would also work as a naturalist in Alaska and British Columbia. Jason and his family also had the opportunity to take a year-long sabbatical to Sweden to continue their education in ecology and environmental communication. After almost 20 years, Jason still resides on the Galápagos Islands with his wife Graciela and son Matias. He received his Photo Instructor certification in a training workshop in 2010. Developed and taught by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions photographers, the workshop equipped him with the insight and skills necessary to help you better understand your camera and the basics of composition—to better capture the moments at the heart of your Lindblad-National Geographic expedition.

Expedition Leader

Doug Gould

Travel and adventure were an integral part of Doug’s upbringing in a small town on the south shore of Long Island, New York. Growing up on the Great South Bay, his family claims Doug learned to sail before he learned to walk. Whether it was camping, sailing, birding, traveling across country or spending most of fifth grade living in Europe, Doug’s formative years left him with a love of wildlife, the outdoors, and a desire to keep moving. After receiving a B.A. in dramatic arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Doug mixed a short career in the film and TV industry with two summers working for the Catalina Island Harbor Patrol, which led to his owning the third largest private marine rescue company in California. Doug sat on the Board of Directors of the Vessel Assist Association of America for three years and has lectured extensively to the marine assistance industry about safety and risk management. In 2003, he volunteered to work for Oceanites as a member of their Antarctic Site Inventory wildlife census team (aka: a penguin counter). This opportunity included numerous trips to the Antarctic Peninsula over the span of three seasons. The Antarctic Site Inventory focused on gathering data about the impact of tourism on Antarctic wildlife, and helped to develop some of the Antarctic Treaty recommendations that govern tourism today. Since 2011, Doug has worked full time as a naturalist, photographer and expedition leader, working primarily in the polar regions. In 2015 he joined Lindblad Expeditions, and continues to share his enthusiasm for travel and adventure as an expedition leader and certified photo instructor.

Expedition Leader

John Mitchell

Raised in the mountains of Crested Butte, Colorado, John has always been a “child of nature,” where the natural world around him was life’s classroom. After graduating from Colorado State University with degrees in Speech Communication and Biology, John joined Lindblad Expeditions. Over the years with Lindblad he tried to learn every aspect of vessel operations while spending his “free time” learning all that he could from the naturalists on board. His time off the boats was spent traveling throughout North, South, and Central America learning more about the areas. John left “for a spell” to pursue a post-graduate degree in marine ecology in Hawaii, fell in love with island life and now calls Maui home. Most recently working as a Coastal Management Specialist for NOAA Pacific Region, he has also been the Program Director for an educational non-profit whose mission was to excite youth about science and all things natural. John has also served as a naturalist, junior high and high school marine science field teacher. He also worked on the Marine Turtle Research Project, and spent five years as the Fish and Habitat Monitoring Coordinator for the State of Hawaii. John is passionate about the need to re-connect our youth to the environment in order to sustain meaningful education.

Expedition Leader

Russell Evans

Russ Evans is a sixth-generation Falkland Islander now living in Orkney, Scotland. In 1997, he was drawn away from his work on the family farm by the lure of the sea. Since then, he has made his living at sea. As a licensed captain, Russ has been part of a variety of marine endeavors, including commercial tugs, dive boat support, scientific research, sightseeing tours, cruise ships, and since 2003, an expedition leader on expedition ships worldwide but specializing in the polar regions. Russ is committed to the environmental impact of tourism and its future in the Antarctic through his advocacy with the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and shares their commitment to responsible tourism. Although his chosen place on the globe is the Antarctic and its surrounding waters and islands, he is as at home in the far north as he is in the far south. Also having led expeditions in lower latitudes and warmer climates, his passion for the oceans is coupled with keen expertise on the natural history of these places of extremes. His intimate knowledge of, and love for, remote islands and hard-to-reach corners of the world, (especially if they can only be reached by sea), makes him a natural for sharing his passion with others. His adventuresome spirit, along with his thirst to deliver the most extraordinary experiences to the guests of each expedition, provides a compelling and insight-filled backdrop for exploring.

Expedition Leader

Andy Wolff

A Midwestern kid with an insatiable curiosity about places far and foreign, Andy has converted a lucky break after college into a career at sea. From swabbing the decks to advocating for artisans and zooming in Zodiacs, he knows the operation from every department on board. What keeps him fresh after nearly two decades working at sea is waking up somewhere new every morning, the day ahead a blank slate with no way of knowing what marvels nature and serendipity may bring his way. Andy looks forward to sharing this sense of wonder and possibility with guests as they venture together into new realms with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic. Having traveled everywhere from Madagascar to Moscow, Andy’s happy place is amongst icebergs and whales on a sunny Antarctic summer day. When not aboard ship, he often winters near tropical seas, typically hunting below the water’s surface for nudibranchs. A happy Pacific Northwest transplant, Andy now calls the evergreen forests of Olympia, Washington home. There he enjoys crafting homemade soap, trail running, and consuming copious quantities of coffee. If you end up sharing a table in the dining room one evening, be sure to ask about his international gold medal in barbershop. Andy was thrilled to join the Lindblad Expeditions team in 2010. Among so much photographic talent, he is a firm believer that the best camera is the one you always have with you. For a look at life through his lens, investigate instagram.com/travelingandy.

Expedition Leader

Shawn Lucas

Shawn began his journey with Lindblad Expeditions in 2009 and since inception has found himself in various aspects of ship and expedition operations. What led him to Lindblad Expeditions? When you grow up in upstate New York, it’s nearly impossible to resist the urge to explore—especially as a kid. Shawn’s love of the outdoors began at an early age when he would play “fugitive”, a variation of the game tag, with his neighborhood friends in the forest behind his home in Wappingers Falls, NY. As long as he can remember, the forest had always beckoned and sparked a strong sense of exploration and wanderlust. When he was just twenty-one, he completed a six month, 2,167 mile thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, a journey that would shape his adult life. He was hooked. Shawn went on to tackle other thru hikes of note including the Pacific Crest, High Sierra, and John Muir Trails. He also led a six person expedition up three 6,000 meter peaks in the Peruvian Andes. Having discovered his passion he sought out an undergraduate school that would stimulate him intellectually as well as being mere steps from adventure. He ended up at Paul Smiths College situated in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Shawn earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation, Adventure Travel & Eco-tourism with a minor in Forestry. Whether in the forest or on the water, his passion for the outdoors is always the key factor for planning his future or the next adventure.

Expedition Leader

Dan Olsen

Dan lives in Seward, Alaska, and has worked as a guide and naturalist his whole life. Dan taught sailing, navigation, mountaineering, and kayaking at Outward Bound and aboard tall sailing ships, before shifting to expedition ships.He has been a licensed captain since 1993 and has run roughly a thousand Alaska boat tours.Dan has driven boats and guided tours in Alaska, Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Chile, Panama, Costa Rica, Europe, and Hawaii. Dan began recording Killer Whales (Orca) in 2004 and was hooked when he learned that families could be identified by their calls. He obtained a Fisheries Biology Masters degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and now is a partner in a non-profit dedicated to monitoring the health of Alaska killer whale populations. Although his specialty is acoustics, he also studies diet and behavior, and is always excited to find whale poo! Dan recently presented for the BBC production, ‘Alaska Wild Live.’ In his spare time, Dan can be found mountain biking, skiing, sailing, canyoneering, fire juggling, slacklining, playing flamenco guitar, or performing improv in Seward.

Expedition Leader

Cindy Manning

Cindy was raised in a family that was fortunate enough to live in many different countries across the globe. During her formative years, she counted Latin America and Europe as home, with periods in-between living in Illinois and Indiana, where she attended Earlham College. With a B.A. in Biology, Cindy then spent the next few years finding work abroad as teacher in Kenya, and later as a naturalist in the Ecuadorian Amazon region. However, after arriving in the Galapagos Islands in 1986, this is where she settled Cindy joined ranks with Lindblad Expeditions in 1997 and has never looked back. Given the opportunity to make a living doing what she loves best - traveling and teaching, it has worked out well. As a member of the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation, she helps raise funds for important projects and over 30 years has maintained her Naturalist license with the Galapagos National Park. Now with decades of experience on the ocean, the marine environment and its exploration and conservation has become her passion. As the Undersea Specialist in Galapagos, she spends the maximum time in the water with guests, and very happy to do so. Trained by Lindblad Expeditions as a Certified Field Educator and with the expertise of Lindblad and National Geographic photographers, Cindy is also a Certified Photo Instructor. All in all, she ready to share her knowledge wherever she finds herself, no age limit expected.

Expedition Leader

Carlos Romero

Carlos was born in Quito, Ecuador and grew up in Venezuela, where he lived for many years near the ocean and later the rainforest. He returned to Quito to study biology and specialized in the fauna of Ecuador. His main field of study was zoology with an emphasis on vertebrates. He has a doctorate in biology and a master’s in ecotourism and natural protected areas management. He designed a new curriculum for the largest university in Ecuador, the Central University— a masters in environmental management and administration of natural protected areas. Carlos has also taken part in various scientific projects and expeditions with the Biological Sciences Department of Quito’s Polytechnic University. He has published several scientific papers, including one about the bats of Galápagos and one about the vampire bat of mainland Ecuador. Carlos has illustrated various scientific papers, including the "Park Warden Manual," used in Ecuadorean National Parks since 1991. He is fluent in Spanish, English, and German. It was his interest in conservation biology that inspired him to become a naturalist and he started working with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic in 1997. He received his Photo Instructor certification in a multi-day training workshop. Developed and taught by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions photographers, the workshop helped him develop additional insight and skills necessary to help you better understand your camera and the basics of composition — to better capture the moments at the heart of your expedition.

Expedition Leader

Paula Tagle

Paula grew up in Guayaquil where she obtained an undergraduate degree in geology from the Polytechnic University of Guayaquil. She enjoyed many field trips all around Ecuador and during her vacations traveled in Central and South America in the hope of learning more about her people and culture. The last year of her studies she worked at a mine looking for a more ecologically responsible way of recovering gold. Interested more in volcanoes than in raw materials, she came to Galápagos, a mecca for geologists, in 1992. She was bewitched by the other wonders of the islands and became a naturalist guide for the Galápagos National Park. In 1994, Paula went to Belgium for her master’s degree in quaternary geology at the Free University of Brussels. As soon as she was back in Ecuador she returned to her longed-for islands. Since then, she has been an interpreter for the Galápagos National Park, and for other nature destinations such as Baja California and Central America, where she also leads trips for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, with whom she has worked since 1997. In 2000 she obtained a U.S. sailing certification, and is qualified to skipper centerboard and keel boats up to 40 feet. In 2004, Paula published her book Galápagos Bedtime Stories intended for kids and kids at heart. She also writes a column about the Galápagos for one of the most prestigious Ecuadorian newspapers El Universo .

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