February 3, 2021: Australia's leading expedition operator Aurora Expeditions is offering a unique opportunity to meet and explore with world-renowned marine conservationist, biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle on an exciting voyage to Baja California. 

Dr. Earle will be a special guest on a 9-day sailing in and around Baja California and the Sea   of Cortez – from May 4 to 12, 2022 – on board its new, small expedition ship, the Sylvia Earle, named to honour Dr. Earle's long-standing ocean conservation efforts. 

Dr. Earle has a deep personal connection to the Sea of Cortez, nominated as the first 'Hope Spot' by Mission Blue – her own conservation alliance – which has created a global network of 136 marine protected areas to date. Expeditioners will enjoy fascinating once-in-a-lifetime on-board talks by Dr. Earle and join her on immersive excursions by land and sea in the Gulf of California. 

The voyage is the chance for explorers to see and learn about this extraordinarily rich and biodiverse marine environment and become 'ambassadors' for ocean conservation. Expeditioners will hear directly from Dr. Earle about the significance of climate change and why this is one of her designated Hope Spots and a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. 

Aurora Expeditions and the new Sylvia Earle ship will support Mission Blue's efforts with wildlife mapping, location photography and video – above and below the water – and 'Citizen Science' projects run by on-board expedition leaders to support marine research. 

“By travelling with Aurora Expeditions on Sylvia Earle, I feel it is an incredible opportunity for people to learn about these extraordinary marine habitats in situ, and as a result, become ambassadors for protecting them,” says Dr. Earle. 

“Ninety-seven percent of the Earth's water is ocean, it is our life support system and we need to learn everything we can about it,” she adds. “I see great synergies in working closely with a company that shares my vision for the future and which is, from the top down, passionate about the marine environment.” 

Aurora Expeditions is planning voyages to other key 'Hope Spots' including Costa Rica (Golfo Dulce); Panama (Coiba Island); Raja Ampat (Coral Triangle and Misool Private Marine Reserve; the Northwest Passage; Svalbard (Spitsbergen), and Canada (Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef). 

The David Attenborough of the marine world, Dr. Earle was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; has been a National Geographic explorer-in-residence since 1998; and was named by Time magazine as its first 'Hero of the Planet' the same year. 

“Our goal is literally to inspire a network of hope – one place, one community, one vision at a time – but together around the world,” says Dr. Earle. “And by linking people, sharing stories, and carrying evidence of success or problems from one place to another, we get this global 'brains trust' working to get us from where we are to a better place.” 

 For further press information please contact:  
Annabel Carroll // PR Manager   
M: +61 (0)451 915 112 E: acarroll@aurora-expeditions.com   

Notes to Editors 

Imagery: 

External renders can be downloaded here.  

Internal renders can be downloaded here.  

Headshots of Dr Sylvia Earle can be downloaded here  

Itinerary images can be downloaded here. 

About Aurora Expeditions 

Aurora Expeditions is an Australian-owned adventure company founded by renowned mountaineer and explorer, Greg Mortimer, and his wife Margaret. Over the past 30 years it has become the leader in small-group, expedition-style travel to polar regions and other wild, remote places including Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands, the Arctic (European and Canadian), Alaska, the Russian Far East Costa Rica, Baja California and West Papua. In 2020, Aurora Expeditions received the World's Leading Polar Expedition award at the renowned World Travel Awards. 

Aurora Expeditions offers its passengers intimate experiences in remote destinations through a range of flexible, innovative itineraries. Some voyages offer mountain climbing, sea kayaking, camping, photography, and polar snorkelling and scuba diving options. Aurora Expeditions' expert naturalists, geologists, historians, guides and crew help unlock the wonders of these special places.   

Committed to the preservation of the environment, Aurora Expeditions was one of the founders of the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), which created the environmental protocols for all commercial visitors to Antarctica and is also a member of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). In doing so, Aurora Expeditions encourages its passengers to respectfully visit the planet's wilderness areas and return as ambassadors charged with protecting these important regions.   

Aurora Expeditions has recently updated its health and safety protocol, as well as implementing a new deposit protection scheme. Further information can be found here: https://www.aurora-expeditions.com/why-travel-with-us/health-safety/  

For Bookings:  

For more information or to book visit www.aurora-expeditions.com 

Call us on 1 800 826 8150 

Or email info@aurora-expeditions.com 

Greg Mortimer, The Ship and The Founder 

The recently launched expedition vessel Greg Mortimer is an intimate ship built with activity and exploration in mind. Mortimer, the man, was the first Australian to climb Everest and the first person to climb Mt Minto in Antarctica and, along with wife Margaret, co-founded Aurora Expeditions in the early 1990s.  

With an average of 132 passengers, the ship is the world's first to sail with the patented ULSTEIN X-BOW®, this unique bow design in combination with Rolls Royce dynamic stabilisers offers unrivalled stability and comfort* on ocean crossings. The X-BOW® cuts through the swell, minimising vibrations and disturbances, and makes quicker transits through waves. This helps reduce fuel consumption by up to 60%.  

Founder of Aurora Expeditions Greg Mortimer said: “Our ships are designed primarily to connect people with the environment. With the revolutionary ULSTEIN X-BOW® technology to cross oceans more comfortably, expansive observation decks to bring you closer to the environment, a first-class team of naturalists and unsurpassed environmental credentials, our ships offer the perfect base camp for in-depth explorations and culturally led itineraries.” 

Sylvia Earle, The Ship and The Explorer  

Due to sail on her maiden voyage in November 2021, this new ship honours the highly accomplished marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer, Dr. Sylvia Earle. As the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998, this vessel pays tribute to Sylvia's long-standing conservation efforts for marine protected areas and ocean wildlife. Sylvia Earle is actively involved in the development of her namesake. 

With an average of 132 passengers, the ship is the second to join the Aurora Expeditions fleet and is complete with the patented ULSTEIN X-BOW®, this unique bow design in combination with Rolls Royce dynamic stabilisers offers unrivalled stability and comfort* on ocean crossings. The X-BOW® cuts through the swell, minimising vibrations and disturbances, and makes quicker transits through waves. This helps reduce fuel consumption by up to 60%*.  

The ship will visit many new destinations within the Aurora Expeditions program including Alaska, Baja California, the Russian Far East, Raja Ampat and West Papua.  

For more information visit www.aurora-expeditions.com