AE Expeditions will be joined by a total of 18 scientists on some of its 2026/27 Antarctic voyages, giving guests the chance to travel alongside researchers studying species including whales, penguins and the elusive colossal squid.
The scientists will join 11 selected sailings across the season, using AE Expeditions ships as platforms for fieldwork in Antarctica. Research projects will focus on whale ecology, penguin populations, wildlife health, marine biodiversity and deep-sea exploration.
They will sail on selected voyages operated by Greg Mortimer, Sylvia Earle and Douglas Mawson, which will visit destinations including the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Circle, Weddell Sea, South Georgia, Falkland Islands, Ross Sea and East Antarctica.
Researchers will share their work directly with guests through presentations and informal discussions, offering insight into the studies being carried out during the voyages.
Among the scientists taking part are Professor Ari Friedlaender from the University of California, Santa Cruz, who has spent three decades researching whales in Antarctica, and Chris Johnson, WWF Global Lead of the Protecting Whales & Dolphins Initiative.
Six scientists from Oceanites will continue the long-running Antarctic Site Inventory project, monitoring penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula using ground and drone surveys.
Researchers from the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) will investigate the health of whales, seals and seabirds, while teams from Reef Life Survey and the University of Tasmania will conduct underwater biodiversity surveys to help track long-term changes in Antarctic marine ecosystems.
One of the season’s most unusual projects will take place on the ‘Epic Antarctica: Crossing the 7th Continent’ voyage, where scientists from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Auckland University of Technology will attempt to observe a colossal squid in its natural habitat.
The project, known as ESCA, will use a specially developed deep-sea camera and attraction system in the Southern Ocean in an effort to capture footage of the rarely seen creature.
AE Expeditions Head of Sustainability Sasha Buch said: “Antarctica has always been at the heart of AE Expeditions, and this season really demonstrates how expedition travel is evolving.
“Expeditioners come to experience extraordinary landscapes, wildlife and adventure, but increasingly they can also become part of the story of Antarctic science. Having researchers working directly from our ships – counting penguins, studying whales, monitoring wildlife health or searching the deep ocean for a colossal squid – brings another dimension to the experience.
“Expeditioners aren’t simply learning about Antarctica; they are travelling alongside scientists who are working to better understand and protect it.”
The season will also feature six ‘Special Edition’ expeditions focussing on themes such as photography and women-only exploration.
