Cultural Specialists

Cultural

A local watchman hikes over the moss-draped spongy forest grounds of Haida Gwaii sharing his people’s stories and bringing to life the myth and mystery of the islands. A Cambodian professor comes aboard on the Mekong River to share firsthand stories of his country’s struggles, and then joins guests on the outside deck to give voiceover to the hope and future he sees in the people working along the riverbanks. And in South America an ethnomusicologist joins the expedition to curate a series of concerts aboard the ship and ashore that offer a deeper look into the cultures guests explore.

On select expeditions, cultural specialists who are experts in their fields are added to an already impressive expedition team to further illuminate local life. They are chosen not just for their academic background, but for their ability to enable an authentic connection to the people guests meet along their journey.

In regions that focus on history and culture — like Egypt, Vietnam, the Caribbean, or the Mediterranean — two or more cultural specialists may join the full expedition. One may be an archeologist, another an expert everyday lives of ancient people. They often have deep local connections formed from spending years or even decades studying in the regions they illuminate for guests.

And in wild places, like Alaska for example, a cultural specialist may come aboard the ship to relate stories of the indigenous people who once lived in Glacier Bay as guests sail through the park—or they may meet guests as they get off a ship and visit a first nations community.

No matter the topic, they add to guests’ appreciation and contribute a vital, but not easily discovered, facet of a region.

Cultural Specialist

Tua Pittman

Internationally acclaimed as a traditional master navigator, Tua has navigated canoes across the great oceans of our planet from the coastlines of Asia through to the shores of the Americas for more than 30 years, without the use of modern instruments. This Cook Islander, also of New Zealand Maori and Tahitian bloodlines, uses an ancient navigational system based upon careful observation of celestial bodies—sun, moon, and stars—as well as using ocean swells, flight patterns of birds, and other natural markers. Tua’s efforts to adopt and promote the sailing arts of the ancients have been recognized throughout the Pacific. In 2008 he was designated a Pwo navigator on the island of Satawal in Micronesia and inducted by sacred ritual into this rarefied society of master navigators by Grand Elder and Master Navigator Mau Piailug. In addition to earning prominence among traditional voyaging societies, Tua is known throughout Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia for his mentoring of young islanders in the traditional cultures and languages of their ancestors. Tua is a respected chieftain of his island homeland, a dancer, drummer, athlete, and gifted speaker. His lecture topics, accompanied by excellent visual materials, include the origin and migration theory of the Pacific people; ancient traditional voyaging and navigation; traditional voyaging in this modern day; open-air star presentation and identification—navigating Pacific skies; and Pacific Ocean traditions and cultures.

Cultural Specialist

Jacqueline Windh

Jacqueline is a PhD scientist, a best-selling author and photographer, and an elected Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She completed her doctorate studies in structural geology at the University of Western Australia, working as an exploration geologist on three continents before leaving that industry to follow more environmentally friendly pursuits. For the past two decades she has worked as a photojournalist and as a wilderness guide and adventurer, mainly in the Pacific Northwest, South America, and Antarctica. She is author or major contributor to four books. Her photographs and words have been published worldwide, and she has written and presented radio documentaries for both the CBC and the ABC. She is currently working on two books and involved in several adventure film projects. In 2021, Jacqueline was awarded the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. A dual Canadian/Australian citizen, she lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Cultural Specialist

Alexander Hillary

A family legacy of exploration and adventure has led Alexander on expeditions to the Himalayas and Antarctica pursuing wild landscapes and wildlife. Hailing from New Zealand has cultivated his strong relationship with nature and has inspired him to share this through photography and storytelling. Alexander is also committed to his family’s philanthropic legacy of helping the people of Nepal through The Himalayan Trust as well as fostering people’s connection with the outdoors through Hillary Outdoors. Alexander is passionate about sharing adventure and wonder in the natural world with others.

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Cultural