Approved Private Vessel Observers

From South Georgia Website

(In no particular order)

Nigel Sitwel

Nigel Sitwell is a writer and editor specialising in natural history and travel, and has visited nearly 100 countries in the course of leading land tours and expedition cruises. He has worked as Expedition Leader on Antarctic cruises for 14 seasons on a variety of ships, including the Khromov (48 passengers), Alla Tarasova (90 passengers), Ocean Princess (370 passengers), and Marco Polo (up to 550 passengers). In addition to Antarctica, some of these cruises also visited the Falkland Islands and/or South Georgia. Several of the Marco Polo cruises travelled to the Ross Sea. He has visited South Georgia as Expedition Leader during five seasons.

Nigel Sitwell has worked for WWW-UK, as well as for Lindblad Travel, the company that pioneered environmentally friendly adventure travel, and for 15 years was Editor of the British magazine Wildlife, now known as BBC Wildlife. He was awarded the Order of the Golden Ark by HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands for services to conservation, and he has served on the Executive Committee of IAATO – the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators.

Nigel Sitwell - email

Malcolm Macfarlane

Malcolm Macfarlane is a biologist and operations specialist who has worked in the Antarctic during 21 summers and one winter since 1983 accumulating over 1,400 days of Antarctic service. He started his career as a scientist with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, which lead to his working for ten years with the New Zealand Antarctic Programme. During this period programme he held a number of roles, finishing as the programme's Operations Manager.

His time in Anatrctica include one winter at New Zealand’s Scott Base, a summer at Vanda Station, in the McMurdo Dry Valleys and a further 9 summers at Scott Base supporting New Zealand’s Antarctic operations, this includes 6 periods as Officer in Charge. Additionally he has travelled extensively as an observer and/or lecturer aboard expedition ships. During more than 40 voyages, areas visited include: the Falklands Islands; Chilean Fjords; Antarctic Peninsula; South Georgia; the Ross Sea region; Australian and New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands; and Australian and French Antarctic Territories. Voyages have been on a range of ships including World Discoverer, Frontier Spirit, Kapitain Khlebnikov, Marco Polo, Ushuaia and Discovery, plus several government and NGO ships.

Since leaving the Antarctic Programme Malcolm has worked in emergency management where he specialized in the use of GIS to support operational activities, he is now a consultant in this field. He is currently the Operations Manager for the Sub Antarctic Foundation for Ecosystems Research. Over the last 7 years he has spent many months working in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia on the foundation’s projects.

Malcolm is also the immediate past president of the New Zealand Antarctic Society and has Macfarlane Bluff in the All Black Nunataks on the polar plateau named for him.

Malcolm Macfarlane - email

Tim Carr

• LIVED FOR 14 YEARS PERMANENTLY (YEAR ROUND) IN SOUTH GEORGIA FROM 1992 – 2006 and re-visited on several occasions up to and including 2009.

• CURATOR of South Georgia Museum.

• MBE (Member of the British Empire) - medal awarded for services to South Georgia.

• CO-AUTHOR, and photographer of “Antarctic Oasis – Under the Spell of South Georgia”, a very successful book with four printings, 200 colour photographs and 40,000 words.

• HAS IAATO EXPEDITION LEADER STATUS. Has guided many cruise ship and yacht expeditions. Guide for National Geographic, military, and for film companies. Has excellent knowledge of South Georgia’s coast and anchorages, local weather systems and distribution of wildlife.

• LECTURED in Britain, USA and Canada at major venues such as the Royal Geographic Society, Scott Polar Research institute, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institute, National Geographic, etc.

• SAILING – 25 years sailing around the world then 8 years sailing around South Georgia in own engineless century old gaff cutter, Curlew. Awarded The Blue Water Medal (Cruising Club of America) and Seamanship and Tilman Medals (Royal Cruising Club).

• MOUNTANEERING AND SKI-TOURING – Extensive knowledge of South Georgia’s interior, with many summits, hikes and ski-tours including the complete Shackleton Route. Still very active climbing and skiing in New Zealand.

• WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES – Extensive knowledge of animal behaviour in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. Has been a strong lobbyist for improved environmental management and protection of the island.

• HISTORY AND HERITAGE – Has good insights into local history acquired during development of South Georgia Museum over 14 years.

Tim Carr - email

Pauline Carr

• LIVED FOR 14 YEARS PERMANENTLY (YEAR ROUND) IN SOUTH GEORGIA FROM 1992 – 2006 and re-visited on several occasions up to 2009.

• CURATOR (with husband Tim Carr) of South Georgia Museum.

• CO-AUTHOR, (with husband Tim Carr) of “Antarctic Oasis – Under the Spell of South Georgia”, a very successful book with four printings, 200 colour photographs and 40,000 words.

• LECTURED AND GUIDED on many cruise ships and also lectured in Britain, USA and Canada at major venues such as the Royal Geographic Society, Scott Polar Research institute, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institute, National Geographic, etc. Has good knowledge of South Georgia’s coast and anchorages, local weather systems and distribution of wildlife.

• SAILING (with husband Tim Carr) – 25 years sailing around the world then 8 years sailing around South Georgia in own engineless century old gaff cutter, Curlew. Awarded The Blue Water Medal (Cruising Club of America) and Seamanship and Tilman Medals (Royal Cruising Club).

• MOUNTANEERING AND SKI-TOURING – Extensive knowledge of South Georgia’s interior, with many summits, hikes and ski-tours, including crossing the island.

• WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES – Extensive knowledge of animal behaviour in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. Has been a strong lobbyist for improved environmental management and protection of the island.

• HISTORY AND HERITAGE – Has excellent insights into local history acquired during development of South Georgia Museum over 14 years, as archivist as well as curator.

Pauline Carr - email

Richard Haworth

Richard is a highly experienced skipper of both charter and private yachts in polar waters, having managed many well known yachts including “Pelagic” and “Pelagic Australis”. Richard’s experience includes many trips to South Georgia and Antarctica, both as Skipper and as Ice Pilot (or advisor to the Captains) of private vessels. He also has led and organized a number of mountaineering expeditions on the island. His company High Latitudes (http://www.highlatitudes.com) can also assist in all other aspects of planning and preparing expeditions.

Richard Haworth - email

Skip Novak

Skip Novak, born in 1952, is a professional sailor who has raced around the world four times in the Whitbread Race since 1976. He then went on to co-skipper a maxi catamaran for The Race in 2001 which was a non stop circumnavigation taking 64 days. Within his racing career he built the well known 54 foot Pelagic in 1987 with the intention of using her for sailing to climb expeditions in high latitudes.

He first visited the Antarctic Peninsula in 1988, followed by an inaugural experience on South Georgia in the early winter of that year while en route to Cape Town. Since then he has led sailing expeditions annually to both the Antarctic and South Georgia, mainly specializing in logistically supporting adventure projects including mountaineering and ski touring, diving, kayaking and film making, in addition to conducting normal tourist visits. In 2003 he launched the 74 foot Pelagic Australis to address the needs of more elaborate projects in both the far south and the far north. For reference, his charter client list going back to 1988 can be found in the Past Clients section of the Overview on www.pelagic.co.uk.

Due to his experience handling large sailing vessels, he has, over the years advised many luxury yachts in their planning and permitting for one off voyages to Patagonia, Antarctica and South Georgia. A list of clients can be found on his web site http://www.pelagic.co.uk in the Services section.

His company Pelagic Expeditions LTD was the first yacht member to join the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) in 1995 where Skip began lobbying on behalf of yachts conducting charter operations in Antarctica. He also sits on the Panel of Experts for expedition advisory to the government of South Georgia.

Skip Novak - email