Expedition Team Directory

Browse our directory of expedition team members who will join us on upcoming expeditions.

By Expertise
  • Expedition Leader
  • Naturalist
  • Undersea Diving
  • National Geographic Photography Expert
By Destination
  • Alaska
  • Galápagos
Expedition staff are subject to change.

Our Team

Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor icon Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

Michael Nolan

Michael Nolan was born in Bitburg, Germany to an Air Force family stationed there. His first experience of the ocean came at age 12, when he learned to snorkel in the Italian Mediterranean. At age 17 he moved to Tucson, Arizona and became a PADI SCUBA instructor, before starting a SCUBA diving business that specialized in diving trips to the Sea of Cortez. Michael has since begun a new career in marine photography.  He worked with National Geographic dolphin researchers in the Bahamas throughout the nineties, as well as running trips to the Silver Banks in the Dominican Republic to study and photograph Atlantic Humpback Whales. Today he is an award-winning photographer who specializes in intimate portraits of marine animals.  He has traveled the oceans of the world in search of the world's most magnificent beings.  His photography has appeared in hundreds of magazines, calendars, and books in over 45 countries worldwide.  He currently "migrates" with the whales, spending his winters in the warmer tropical latitudes where whales mate and give birth and his summers in the cooler higher latitudes where animals migrate to feed.

National Geographic Photography Expert icon National Geographic Photography Expert

Krista Rossow

For more than a decade, Krista Rossow has worked as a photographer, photo editor, and educator for National Geographic. She began her career as a photo editor at National Geographic Traveler magazine, where she shaped compelling stories from world-class imagery. In her freelance career, she has shot feature stories as a contributing photographer for Traveler in Japan, South Africa, Morocco, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and various U.S. cities. She regularly judges Instagram contests for @NatGeoTravel and photo edits for National Geographic Books. Krista travels with National Geographic Expeditions teaching photography around the world–from the Galápagos Islands, Patagonia, and Peru to Alaska, Antarctica, and the Arctic. She sees the camera as a tool for understanding new cultures, meeting the locals, and exploring the natural world. Her images are represented by National Geographic Image Collection.

National Geographic Photography Expert icon National Geographic Photography Expert

Todd Gipstein

Todd Gipstein has been a photographer, writer, producer, and lecturer for more than 40 years. He has worked with National Geographic since 1987. For many years, he was the Geographic’s Director of Multi-Image and an Executive Producer of Media. His photographs have been published in National Geographic and Traveler magazines and in many books. His award-winning documentaries for the Geographic have dealt with a diverse range of topics, including photography, nature, the environment, history, exploration, travel, and National Geographic itself. His work is known worldwide for its evocative storytelling. He continues to take photographs for the Nat Geo Creative image library. An enthusiastic traveler and teacher, Todd has lectured, presented his documentaries, and given photography workshops for the Geographic around the world. His photography has been exhibited internationally, and he regularly participates in photography and media festivals in Italy. Born and raised in New London, Connecticut, a graduate of Harvard, Todd has written three novels—Legacy of the Light, Magician’s Choice, and In the Shadow of the Light—all historical fiction. He is currently working on another, Elephant Island. Todd is also a magician and collector of magic memorabilia. In their not so spare time, he and his wife Marcia, a photo editor and yoga teacher, are restoring New London Ledge Lighthouse. It is a mile out to sea off the coast of their home in Groton, Connecticut. You can learn more about Todd at his website  www.Gipstein.com  and on Facebook/GipsteinBooks.

Naturalist icon Naturalist

Jeff Campbell

Jeff Campbell fell in love with the ocean while attending boatbuilding school in Eastport, Maine. Since completing his MS in Marine and Estuarine Science at Western Washington University, he has worked for NOAA documenting the ecological impacts of transoceanic fiber-optic cable; the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife developing an aging method for sixgill sharks; the Lummi Tribe as a Harvest Biologist; Northwest Indian College teaching Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, and as a volunteer for the Whatcom County Marine Mammal Stranding Network. He has been involved in research developing mitigation methods for harmful algae blooms, sterilization methods for oil tanker ballast water, and techniques for screening refinery effluent for harmful ecological effects. He also served as Principle Director on a USDA-funded grant using student interns to study the impact of nutrient-rich run-off on seasonal dead-zones in Bellingham Bay. Jeff is passionate about the marine environment, particularly the northeast Pacific, and believes that the key to preserving this fragile biome is lighting the spark in others by sharing his knowledge on the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate systems. He is particularly interested in the effects of ocean acidification on the larval stages of mollusk, and arthropod larvae. Summers for the last three years have found him driving expedition landing craft and sharing the joys of whale watching with guests. A Lummi Island, Washington resident for more than 18 years, Jeff lives with his wife Penny, who has been a marine naturalist on whale watch boats in the Salish Sea for many years, and their cat, Boo.

Expedition Leader icon 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.

National Geographic Photography Expert icon National Geographic Photography Expert

Jen Hayes

Underwater photographers David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes are married partners who work together as a team to produce National Geographic stories from equatorial coral reefs to beneath the polar ice. David estimates he has spent nearly half his life in the sea since taking his first underwater photograph at the age of 12 with a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a bag. Between them, Jennifer and David have photographed and explored the ocean depths in such places as New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Tasmania, Scotland, and Antarctica. David has photographed stingrays, sponges, and sleeping sharks in the Caribbean, as well as shipwrecks in the South Pacific, the Atlantic, and at Pearl Harbor. He has produced more than 70 stories for National Geographic magazine and several books, and has received the Explorers Club’s prestigious Lowell Thomas Award and the Lennart Nilsson Award in Photography.  

National Geographic Photography Expert icon National Geographic Photography Expert

Nick Cobbing

Photojournalist and filmmaker Nick Cobbing aims to highlight themes of science and natural history through personal stories. A native of the United Kingdom, Nick frequently works in Antarctica and the Arctic, and has accompanied scientists on research expeditions based on icebreaker ships or even camped on the Arctic ice. His story on the future of Arctic sea ice appeared in the January 2016 issue of National Geographic magazine. He has also worked for media brands like GEO (Germany), The Sunday Times Magazine, and the BBC . Nick’s work has been exhibited and screened worldwide in galleries and at festivals, as well as to policymakers in the U.S. Congress and the Stockholm Parliament.  He has won many awards for his photography and short films, including from World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year, and American Photography. Nick’s films have been commissioned by Look3 Festival of Photography and National Geographic, and he is a contributor to @NatGeo, a book and exhibition featuring the most popular photos from National Geographic’s iconic Instagram account. He teaches regularly in Antarctica, Norway, and the Arctic, using the camera to connect students with the landscape and themselves.

Divemaster

Nick Brown

Born and raised on the edge of the Mojave Desert, Nick was accustomed to hot dry days, far from the ocean. Everything changed when he attended California State University Monterey Bay, a short 1.5 miles from the beaches of Central California. This is where Nick’s passion for the water developed and completely engulfed his life. He quickly changed his concentration in college to Marine Science, allowing him to further dive into the underwater world. Nick’s affinity for the water tripled when he discovered SCUBA diving. He even applied diving into his research of the kelp forests of Monterey Bay. During his schooling, Nick became an AAUS Scientific Diver and SCUBA Instructor, allowing him the credentials to become a Dive Safety Officer (DSO) for The Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Immediately after graduating with a degree in Marine Science, Nick was offered a full-time job as a DSO at The Florida Aquarium. In Florida, Nick’s need for exploration grew as he discovered new experiences for himself – everything from deep underground caves to beautiful coral reefs. Nick’s passion then led him to pursue a career in Marine Education and Safety. He currently works as a DSO at The Oregon Coast Aquarium and a lead naturalist for Marine Discovery Tours in Newport, Oregon. Nick’s enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious and he looks to create meaningful ways to connect people to the underwater world, through diving and snorkeling. His greatest goal in life is to inspire stewardship of the Oceans in hopes that one day everyone will want to protect this beautiful blue world as he does.

Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor icon Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

Gemina Garland-Lewis

Gemina Garland-Lewis is a Seattle-based photographer, EcoHealth researcher, and National Geographic Explorer with experience in over 30 countries across six continents. She first picked up a camera when she was 12 years old and proceeded to spend the better part of high school in the darkroom in her hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Both her photography and research explore the myriad connections between humans, animals, and their shared environments. She is passionate about integrating the worlds of visual storytelling and research to develop new ways of communicating social and environmental issues to broader audiences and building unique platforms for education and outreach. She is a past recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, during which she spent a year of travel in seven countries focusing on different cultural relationships with whales and whaling. She has worked as a trip leader and photography teacher for National Geographic Student Expeditions since 2010, leading in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Tanzania, and Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks. Her photography and writing have been featured by National Geographic News, National Geographic Adventure, and REI, among others. Gemina completed her Master’s degree in Conservation Medicine at Tufts University in 2013 and continues to work part-time with the Center for One Health Research at the University of Washington, where she focuses on health and disease issues at the human-animal-environment interface. She is an avid outdoor adventurer and environmental stewardship advocate who is often found somewhere in the mountains or on the ocean, chasing the light with a silly grin on her face.

Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor icon Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

Anna Mazurek

South Carolina native Anna Mazurek fell in love with traveling and photography while studying abroad in England during college. Since then, she’s been to 53 countries and lived in five. She is a freelance travel photographer and writer currently based in Austin, Texas. Her previous clients include the Wall Street Journal , Facebook, Rolling Stone, AFAR magazine and Google.  She has a Master’s degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri and a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina. She also teaches part-time at School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Texas State University. She managed student photo trips in Asia for five years and currently runs summer photo trips for National Geographic Student Expeditions. She doesn’t like to sit still and spends her time exploring the remote corners of the world including Mongolia and Easter Island. Some of her travel highlights including climbing Kilimanjaro and photographing the Dalai Lama at his temple in McLeod Ganj, India.

Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor icon Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

Jim Pfitzer

An autodidact, Jim has spent a lifetime studying and exploring what he refers to as “the intersection of human progress and wildness.” Stumbling on the writings of Aldo Leopold in his early twenties—namely Leopold’s essay Thinking Like a Mountain —launched Jim on a journey that has crisscrossed the country in pursuit of wildness. Jim began his guiding work in the early 1990's, living in an old Volkswagen bus and paddling rafts on the Snake River in Wyoming in the summer, and working as an educator with live birds of prey in Arizona in winter. Since then, he has been as a naturalist, guide, and host, on rivers, in the back country, in national parks, and aquariums, from Redwood National Park to the Tennessee River Gorge, and now the rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Jim will tell you that he would rather paddle a canoe than drive a car and prefers watching birds to watching television, and that he agrees with author Bernd Heinrich when he wrote “There is no greater pleasure than eating roasted moose, while resting under a spruce, and contemplating ravens.” He believes, like Leopold, that every one of us must have an ethical relationship with the land that is based on love, respect and admiration, and has a passion for helping others find their own Land Ethic.

National Geographic Photography Expert icon National Geographic Photography Expert

Camille Seaman

Camille Seaman believes in capturing images that articulate that humans are not separate from nature. Born to a Native American father and African American mother,  Camille ’s sense of connection with nature stems from growing up in the Shinnecock Indian Nation on Long Island, New York, and the influence of her grandfather. After graduating from the State University of New York at Purchase, where she studied photography with Jan Groover and John Cohen, she has spent the last two decades documenting the rapidly changing landscapes of Earth's polar regions—from South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, and below the Antarctic Circle to Greenland, Canada, and beyond. Camille’s photographs have been published in  National Geographic  magazine, including the April 2010 special “Water” issue as well as a cover and feature story on Antarctica in the July 2017 issue. Her work has also appeared in  Outside, TIME, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, American Photo , and  German GEO , among other outlets.  Camille  has been a TED Senior Fellow since 2013, and was also named a Stanford Knight Fellow and Cinereach Filmmaker in Residence Fellow. She leads photographic workshops all over the globe, and enjoys inspiring others to develop a unique visual voice.

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