Aurora Expeditions christens new ship, Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle has christened Aurora Expedition’s newest purpose-built small ship.

Marine biologist, oceanographer and explorer Dr Earle did the honours during Aurora Expeditions’ christening of the ship in Antarctica, a location that nods to its pioneering nature.

Aurora Expeditions operates on what the line states is '100% climate neutrality... taking legitimate action to protect and care for our planet'.

The ship holds 132 guests, providing the opportunity to explore, learn and discover the world through a unique and intimate experience.

Dr Earle commented: “Thank you, Aurora, for the approach that you use to keep people inspired about the ocean.

“Exploring the ocean, using knowledge to take care of all this on our planet. This is an experience that I am happy to share with everyone here and I’m looking at Aurora as the voice of the ocean.”

Who is Dr Sylvia Earle?

Dr Earle has an impressive past, being the first female Chief Scientist of the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

She also runs a conservative initiative called Mission Blue, which works to create a global network of marine protected areas, and has been an explorer-in-residence at National Geographic since 1998.

Currently, Dr Earle is leading a world-first ‘Antarctic Climate Expedition’ onboard Sylvia Earle, with the aim to raise awareness regarding the Antarctic’s environmental importance.

She is also working in partnership with Aurora Expeditions and Ocean Geographic in order to achieve her goal of inspiring transformative changes for global net-zero emissions by 2035.

Honouring a legacy

Each of the new vessels' six decks are dedicated to other pioneering female conservationists, which include: Joanna Ruxton (MBE), Dr Carden Wallace (AM), Sharon Kwok, Bernadette Demientieff, Dr Asha de Vos and Hanli Prinsloo. And, of course, Dr Earle also has a deck of her own.

The new Sylvia Earle ship is focused on education and conservation – with a dedicated Science Centre where guests can participate in educational and hands-on citizen science programs.

Highly experienced expedition teams are also onboard to take guests on exciting mini water and land excursions, from sea kayaking and scuba diving to birdwatching and skiing, among many others.