Alaska Expedition Team

By the age of thirteen, Seán had already spent a quarter of his life sailing around the world with his mother, father, and two sisters on a 38-foot ketch. The 3½-year circumnavigation encompassed 37,404 miles and 248 ports-of-call in 28 countries. From that sailing foundation, Seán studied Civil Engineering at Northwestern University. Commissioned as a U.S. Naval Officer, Seán’s service included training with the Navy SEALs, a deterrence cruise aboard a submarine, and a year overseas in Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean. Upon leaving the Navy, Sean earned a Master’s in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island.

Although he has over 199,000 miles under sail, Seán considers himself a teacher first and sailor second. Teaching courses ranging from Celestial Navigation to Environmental Awareness, he has worked over thirty years as captain and faculty member for a university sea semester program on journeys throughout the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In addition to these oceanographic tall ship voyages, Seán was instrumental in captaining the Freedom Schooner Amistad into Havana, Cuba, in 2010, fulfilling the vessel’s ambassadorial mission.

Seán continues to explore new venues in the maritime environmental world. Scientific forays include working as the ROV navigator aboard the E/V Nautilus for deep ocean exploration and as the Marine Projects Coordinator aboard the two U.S. Antarctic Program Research Vessels. In that role he facilitated numerous research expeditions to Antarctica. Seán joined Seabourn’s Expedition Teams in 2019 and began working as an Expedition Leader in 2022.

As a young lad, Seán began the tradition of launching messages in bottles on the high seas. To date he has set over 300 bottles adrift and has received more than sixty responses. He has corresponded with bottle-finders from ages seven to seventy on five different continents. Whatever role he plays on the water, Seán remains steadfast to two missions: to connect people with the sea and to connect with people through the sea.

Adam began sailing as a boy on the Salish Sea of Washington State, acquired his USCG Master license at 19 years old, Adam began working as a yacht captain aboard Puget Sound charter yachts.

After attending the University of Washington, Adam embarked on a single-handed voyage down the Pacific Coast aboard Saint Brendan, his 27-foot sloop. On this voyage, he explored the Sea of Cortez, Central America, transited the Panama Canal, circumnavigated the Caribbean Sea and explored the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Nova Scotia. During this four-year voyage, Adam made a living as a professional sailor, sailing as Master aboard various vessels in the Caribbean Sea and lived aboard his boat in Guatemala and Belize for a year. Other global adventures include traveling the length of Pakistan by train and four-wheel drive truck, trekking in the Hindu Kush, exploring Patagonia and climbing in Torres Del Paine National Park. As skipper of the expedition yacht MV Peregrine Adam explored the off the beaten path anchorages in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, including Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands BC).

For 25 years Adam was a field biologist for NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and the US Antarctic Program as an expedition leader and science project manager supporting marine mammal and ecosystem researchers in Antarctica, and the coastal waters of the Eastern Pacific from Alaska to Cape Horn. Adam holds NOAA Master Diver and Dive Master certifications. When not at sea on an expedition vessel, Adam owns a yacht delivery company, Yachtlogic, and can be found at sea delivering a yacht as a professional sailor.

Through these adventures, Adam developed a passion for leading expeditions and working with adventure travelers and scientists. Adam loves to set out in small boats and get up close to nature. Hobbies include writing for sailing magazines, cooking, and sailing with his daughter Sophia aboard their 35-foot sloop based in the Sea of Cortez.   Adam’s goal as your Expedition Leader is to make sure guests have a true adventure they will never forget.

Joseph Palmieri is an enthusiastic and sociable mariner with a deep passion for the outdoors. Halfway through an economics degree, he visited Langara Island, British-Columbia, and was overwhelmed with the beauty Mother Nature had to offer. It was after that trip he set off for a life at sea, not being able to resist the allure of the Great Outdoors.

Still a teenager, he began scrubbing boats and dressing fish in Haida Gwaii. Showing an eagerness to take to the water, and a willingness to train, over the years he became an Emergency Medical Responder and the Marine Safety Officer of Langara Fishing Lodge, learning to prioritize safety above all else. There on the Northern border of Canada’s Pacific Coast, he navigated Zodiacs for thousands of hours, directing hundreds of fisherman to safe waters, and kept a watchful eye over the fishing fleet.

After his time working in the sport fishing industry, he took his skills to the commercial fishery. For weeks on end he hung off the back of a commercial trawler, catching Chinook and Coho salmon, on hand-lines, pulling in one fish at a time, before returning to port with a loaded vessel. It was here that he learned that the offshore was not at all a barren ocean with life spread few and far between, rather full of strange and beautiful creatures travelling by in abundance, seemingly just as curious of us as we are of them.

After years of harvesting the ocean, he decided his knowledge could be better used to educate and excite others. After studying to become a Marine Mammal Naturalist, he began as an eco-guide in Tofino, BC. He spent long days on the water, observing the wildlife of the Clayoquot sound, inspired by its beauty with each passing day.

He is very excited for the opportunity to use his skills and knowledge to educate and inspire at Seabourn.

Charly Leblet loves nature and exploring the world. He grew up in Montpellier, in the south of France, where his parents instilled in him a deep love for the outdoors. Spending a lot of time outside as a kid fueled his passion for nature.

After finishing college in Montpellier with a sports degree, Charly started working as an outdoor expert, helping people choose the right gear for their activities. His adventurous spirit led him to explore France extensively, testing different equipment along the way. Charly's curiosity about the world's ecosystems grew with each adventure.

Charly has completed various courses in diving, caving, and climbing, becoming certified as an instructor. His explorations have taken him to unique places, like discovering ancient artifacts while diving and uncovering prehistoric sites while caving. He enjoys sharing stories and photos from his travels.

Working as an assistant kayak guide with Seabourn in Antarctica and Alaska has been a significant experience for Charly. Maneuvering through icy waters and wild coastlines taught him valuable survival skills and how to keep guests safe. His knowledge of these remote areas allows him to share fascinating insights about their wildlife and environments with travelers.

Despite his adventurous side, Charly is grounded and enjoys connecting with people. He has organized trips for young adults, introducing them to different cultures and ways of life. Charly believes in educating others about nature's importance and the need to protect it.

Today, Charly lives in Vancouver, Canada, where he continues to explore and share his experiences with others.

Born and raised in California, Paul grew up on the water. From early boyhood boating in San Francisco Bay to serving, as a young man, aboard the state tall ship Californian, Paul has always loved the ocean, the ships that sail upon it, and the life that it sustains. This maritime love remained a constant as a career in aviation took him around the world — first as a mechanic, then instructor, then business developer, building flight and maintenance training facilities in Singapore, Manchester, and Shanghai. Wherever Paul found himself, he would make time to indulge his passion for the sea.

When his work brought him to Seattle, he knew he had found a home that would fascinate him for years to come. With its protected waterways and diverse ecology, the Salish Sea is a mariner’s playground. Paul quickly connected with the local sailing community. By this time, he had accrued enough days on the water to qualify a USCG Master license. Securing his captain’s license opened up other doors: teaching sailing and delivering yachts, both locally and internationally. As he explored the waterways of the Pacific Northwest, Paul strove to deepen his understanding of this incredible ecosystem and to support initiatives that protect it. Joining the Seabourn team and guiding in Alaska, Antarctica, the Arctic, and the South Pacific has allowed him to move full time into a career that focuses on the water, where he can share his enthusiasm for boating and the natural world. 

River Niles began traveling during their undergraduate years at the University of Texas at Austin, when they received a scholarship to pursue immersive language study in Taipei. The first year they spent abroad afforded them opportunities to travel in east and southeast Asia, and solidified a deep respect for cultural and geographic diversity. Following graduation, they joined the Peace Corps, serving in rural Sichuan, China. Upon their return, they completed a graduate degree in international affairs at George Washington University. Every step of this journey impressed upon them the richness of the human experience in all its manifestations, humbling their perspective even as it inspired them to travel, to go out and meet the world where it lives.

Life set them down briefly in Portland, Oregon and Syracuse, New York, where they immersed in local forests as often as their free time would allow. They eventually made their way to Seattle, Washington, drawn to a geography of proximal mountains, sea, and rainforest. They spent a decade working in the aerospace industry, traveling extensively to support the world’s pilots and airplane mechanics. Along the way, they became an avid sailor, racing every weekend in the local circuit.

Exposure to the sailing world opened doors into the maritime industry and they began crewing sailing yachts on international deliveries. One night, while standing solo watch in the Atlantic Ocean on a 62’ sloop, cutting through water lit by photo-luminescent phytoplankton and gazing at the brilliant Milky Way, they realized it was time to permanently change careers. They left aviation in 2019 and received their USCG Captain’s license in 2020. Since then, they have worked as yacht crew on various boats up and down the East Coast and served as a naturalist and zodiac driver for expedition cruises in Alaska, Antarctica, the Arctic, and the South Pacific.  They are thrilled to be back aboard and look forward to many more adventures exploring the natural world. 

Adam Norris was born near Cleveland, Ohio and raised in a beachy suburb of Central Florida. Adam played many competitive sports growing up including tennis, basketball, and swimming. He always strived to be outdoors, whether it involved dirtbikes and backwood mudding or saltwater surfing along the beaches. As a competitive swimmer, one of his first jobs naturally led him to the ocean as a beach lifeguard.

Adam attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida where he studied pre-law. After graduation in 2015, Adam decided to forego law school, returned to his passions outdoors and worked at Canaveral National Seashore. Adam networked with his coworkers and learned of exciting opportunities abroad with Disney Cruise

By 2016, Adam was working with the most diverse team of young professionals he had

ever experienced. He lived, worked and laughed on one particular Bahamian island, as well as various cruise ships, alongside Serbians and South Africans, Jamaicans and Australians, Portuguese and Sri Lankans, plus many more nationalities. After two fulfilling contracts with Disney Cruise Line, Adam began a seven month unpaid internship with Rainbow Reef Dive Center in Key Largo, Florida where he worked his way up to become a PADI Master SCUBA Diver Trainer. He learned the entire business by starting from the lowest position in the company. This allowed Adam ample seatime and experience to work and travel in the industry.

When the quarantine period of the coronavirus began, Adam was no longer able to act as the lead dive instructor out of the Ocean Reef Club in North Key Largo. He began unemployment like countless others and focused on advancement. Adam pursued his USCG Captain’s License full time during quarantine. Adam immediately put his new credentials to use with various companies around him and gained experience operating a diverse range of vessels. He briefly thought the tow and salvage industry would be his forte, but quickly realized that was not something he enjoyed. Adam returned to the recreational diving industry with Rainbow Reef, the company who originally taught him the business, except this time he was the Captain who mentored the up and comers in the industry. Adam refined his skills further and decided to try another new industry, yachting.

Adam was one of two crew living aboard a multi-million dollar yacht. He spent a lot of time onboard and around the Bahamas. He learned a lot of new skills and networked with some of the best mentors he could ask for, but the lifestyle of yachting was not fulfilling to him. Adam returned to what he considers his home base in South Florida and began a year-long commitment with a nonprofit organization operating primarily within Biscayne National Park. Adam utilized his skills and knowledge to become a dependable Captain and crew trainer at Biscayne. As his commitment passed its fulfillment date with Biscayne, Adam networked with management to learn of more adventurous opportunities. This led to Adam’s onboarding with Seabourn Cruise Line for his first season as a Zodiac Captain in Alaskan waters.

Ceili is a licensed captain and outdoor enthusiast. She has worked on ships in many capacities all over the world, teaching, capturing, and exploring the natural world. She studied international environmental policy and has a passion for the conservation and protection of nature.

Ceili’s passion for the outdoors began when she was a child. Growing up in the foothills of Northern California’s Sierra Nevada mountains offered an incredible opportunity to observe and learn about geography and a variety of ecosystems. Her passion for travel and photography increased her curiosity of the natural world and much of her young adult life was spent in field classes biology, geography, and programs targeted towards experiential education. She began guiding out of high school in any field that would keep her outside and exploring- including backpacking, sea kayaking, rock climbing, horseback riding and winter camping.

In college she worked as a photographer, which brought her to Alaska and peaked her interest in remote and wild places. She continued with outdoor leadership, guiding and education, while studying International Environmental Policy. Ceili’s focus was on conservation, looking at the correlation between natural resources, conflicts and the environment. It was in her later years in college, she was introduced to educational sailing programs and her life on the sea began. She pursued a captain’s license while working with non-profit, marine science programs and was introduced to the world of expedition cruising.

Since obtaining her captain's license in 2015, she has been working full time on the water. As an officer/educator on education research vessels, she worked on a variety of projects providing environmental monitoring and data, especially in more remote and less trafficked areas, to a variety of organizations including WHOI, NOAA, and NASA, while conducting leadership and sail training. In the expedition cruise industry, Ceili has held a variety of positions in various programs. Her experience covers the waters of the eastern Pacific from Alaska to Cape Horn, the Arctic, eastern US, Caribbean, southern Ocean, around New Zealand, and the Antarctic.

She loves facilitating once in a lifetime moments and offering knowledge to enhance the experiences.

Beckie spent their formative years growing up surrounded by nature, fostering a deep connection with the great outdoors that would become a defining aspect of their life. In the heart of the expansive Canadian wilderness, Beckie a seasoned adventurer and nature enthusiast, embarked on a life shaped by the untamed beauty that surrounded them.

Growing up Beckie developed an innate appreciation for the vast landscapes that were the West Coast of British Columbia. The rugged terrains, dense forests, and pristine lakes of their childhood served as the backdrop for the early chapters of a life devoted to exploring and understanding the natural world.

Later in life their passion for nature led them to pursue a career as an expedition guide. Specializing in the extreme environments of the Arctic and Antarctic, Beckie found purpose in introducing others to the wonders of these frozen landscapes. Through their work, they became a bridge between the remote polar regions and the curious minds of those who traveled to experience the majesty of these icy frontiers.

Beckie quickly developed an interest in photography, using the lens to capture their global travels. Through their camera, they documented the diverse cultures, historical landmarks, and breathtaking landscapes encountered on their journeys. The artistry of their photographs not only served as a testament to their experiences but also allowed them to share the beauty of the world with a wider audience.

As Beckie continues to explore the far reaches of the globe, their life's narrative unfolds as a tapestry woven with threads of nature, adventure, and a deep-seated appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things. Through their lens and guided tours, Beckie has not only carved out a niche for themselves in the vast landscape of the natural world but has also left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those fortunate enough to join them on their journey.

Mike’s love for outdoors and adventure stems from his time growing up camping and saltwater fishing in the US Pacific Northwest.  He later undertook more outdoor pursuits, including rock climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering and blue water sailing. He has climbed the 6,768 meter (22,205 ft) high peak of Nevado Huascaran in Peru, as part of a self-guided team, and he met his now wife of 35 years while rock climbing in the deserts of Arizona.

With a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mike worked in facilities engineering and management and then forensic engineering and accident reconstruction.  Later, he combined his career in engineering with his love for outdoor adventure and assumed responsibilities as a Senior Facilities Engineer with the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). 

Mike was the Senior Facilities Engineer at Palmer Station for several years and supported the facilities at the South Pole, McMurdo Station and the McMurdo Dry Valley camps. He was responsible for the physical infrastructure required for science, logistics, housing, medical, recreational, power-plant, fuel systems and most other aspects of a polar research station. He was a member of the USAP Peninsula Management Team which was responsible for leadership, training, risk analysis and safety planning at the station while coordinating with all USAP activities on the Antarctica Peninsula. This included multiple deployments to all three US National Science Foundation research stations via vessels and air lifts.

Mike’s wife is also a USAP member and is currently deployed and working as the hazardous materials and cryogenics manager at the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center at McMurdo Station.  He is the father of a daughter who is an MD resident with the Mayo Clinic, and a son who is an Aerospace Engineering student. 

Mike is passionate about Antarctica and loves every visit, especially when sharing the excitement with people on their very first journey.  There is nothing like seeing that first aqua iceberg or patch of pancake ice on your passage south. 

Prior to working on ships, Nick made his living as a music writer, mule driver, burlesque emcee and tour guide in a number of cities around the U.S. He spent several of his post-college years performing in and hosting poetry shows around the country, founding a poetry slam in Flagstaff, Arizona that has been running for over 23 years, and serving as both a performer and emcee at over a dozen iterations of the National Poetry Slam

In 2007, Nick moved to New Orleans and spent over a decade giving tours of the city's neighborhoods, specializing in the city's musical history, both famous and overlooked. In the summers, he began working on traditionally rigged sailing vessels, which helped him fuse his love his history to the freedom of being on the water. In the process of earning his master's license, he has worked in positions ranging from mate to cook to education coordinator.

In addition to his time at sea, Nick has led poetry workshops at venues ranging from the National Poetry Slam to a federal prison, emceed burlesque shows in New Orleans, taught marine biology on a restored oyster schooner, and served as music editor for a literary journal. His diverse background and passion for storytelling all center around a two core beliefs: That there are no ordinary lives, and that storytelling is one of our greatest forms of connection.