Our Field Staff
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Derek Kyostia
guide / naturalist
Raised along the wild shores of Lake Superior, it was at an early age that Derek Kyostia first became fascinated by the natural world around him and began to develop a deep-seated curiosity for wildlife. Not surprisingly, Derek went on to earn a degree in biology some years later and while still hot from the press, he pursued his destiny and migrated westward. Derek dabbled in fisheries for nearly a decade, serving remote postings up and down the coast of British Columbia in the absence of contemporary entertainment or modern conveniences and with only the seasonal cycles of the temperate rainforest to ponder.
In the interim, Derek sought channels through which to combine his insatiable intrigue for wildlife with opportunities to explore exotic landscapes abroad. He has been fortunate enough to have participated in avian and wildlife research projects in Australia, Mexico and all of the western provinces of Canada.
Currently, Derek is a fulltime Interpretative Guide, dedicating his time between the grizzly bears of coastal British Columbia, the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba and the marine life of Antarctica.
In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Derek also possesses a Masters Limited Captains License as well as a number of other pertinent certifications, all backed by several years of both direct and indirect experience. Furthermore, both his professional and personal pursuits, including rock climbing, mountaineering and back country skiing have given him invaluable practical skills acquired by extensive periods spent in the field.
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Sarah Burns
adventure concierge
Sarah's passion for connecting with new people has led her to the far corners of the globe.
Before coming to Antarctica, she has worked in the travel world as assistant expedition leader for international private jet tours, stopping down in places like Mongolia, Peru, Samoa, China and Australia. She spent some very happy time leading land tours in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. In the past she has also been known to throw wine galas, plan incentive trips and has played "handler" to VIP's like Lance Armstrong.
Sarah hails originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but now calls Seattle, Washington home. In between the two, she's lived in Istanbul, Boston, London, Missoula, San Francisco and Okoboji (that's in Iowa).
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Ray McMahon
guide / historian
An Australian hailing from the city of Melbourne, Ray began his career in the Antarctic with the 1963 Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) as the Expedition Leader at Mawson Base in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
During his year "on ice", he spent a 3 month period 'mushing' a team of huskies on a traverse of over 1,500 kilometres exploring in the region of the Amery Ice Shelf. Ray was awarded the British Polar Medal for his expeditionary activities, and has a mountain named for him on the Antarctic continent.
He has been involved in polar tourism for several years having participated in voyages to the Antarctic and Arctic as an expedition guide, historian and wildlife interpreter. In his role as historian, his presentations provide a fascinating insight into the exploits of some famous polar explorers of the 20th century, in addition to his own Antarctic exploits.
You may want to ask Ray about a 1963 VW Beetle dubbed the "Red Terror" and how well it performed at Mawson Base.
Ray has sailed to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula on numerous voyages and has also transited the Northwest Passage in the Canadian High Arctic.
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Andrew Prossin
expedition leader
Andrew is the Managing Director of One Ocean Expeditions Inc. and brings his passion for polar regions and their conservation into any discussion he can.
An adventurer in his own right, Andrew is an accomplished ocean racing sailor. He led a team that won a race across the Atlantic Ocean in a 30-foot sailboat; he has sailed around Cape Horn in a Southern Ocean gale and competitively raced yachts and high performance dinghies all over the world. Andrew is also a published photographer and an avid snowboarder, spending his quiet time in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Andrew grew up on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada and has brought his East Coast sense of humor with him all along the way. After earning a degree from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, he played a strategic planning role for a major Canadian player in the transportation industry. With around five years in the corporate world under his belt but searching for a life of meaning, Andrew decided to "run away to sea". What started as a three-month commitment to manage a ship transformed itself into a very successful entrepreneurial career in expedition cruising where he could apply his experience and his passion.
With a reputation for innovation and attention to detail, Andrew has become well known in the expedition cruise industry for the high quality expedition cruise programs he develops. He is also noted for his attention to vital areas of safety and his commitment to environmental protection.
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Steven Allen
executive chef
Steven is Chef / Proprietor of Lily Ruth restaurant in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.
While growing up on Cape Breton island, Nova Scotia, Steven discovered his passion for the outdoors. An avid fly fisherman, Steven pursues that passion every chance he gets. With a restaurant / catering company and an energetic two year old daughter (Hazel), those opportunities to sneak away to a quiet river are becoming fewer. There is a day, not too far off however when Hazel will be big enough to tag along with daddy on his adventures.
A 1988 graduate of the 'Culinary Institute of Canada", Steven has traveled the globe with his culinary career. Over twenty years later Steven has still not lost his "taste" for travel / adventure and brings a unique "flavor" to any expedition. Having held shipboard positions as chef, hotel manager, and lecturer, one would be hard pressed to find a more well rounded crew member to travel with.
Steven is a veteran of expedition travel with trips to Antarctica, the Amazon, Greenland, the Canadian High Arctic and the remote islands of the South Pacific under his belt.
Steven's culinary background combined with his expedition background blend well. In his own restaurant, Steven strives to keep an eco-friendly menu and does not hesitate to offer recommendations to other restaurateurs on how to serve planet friendly cuisine.
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Chad Gaetz
kayak guide / assistant expedition leader
For 5 years Chad has been guiding single and multi-day hiking, glacier trekking and kayaking trips in Alaska and more recently leading kayaking excursions on polar expeditions. He is a certified Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician and has trained in Swift Water, Advance Swift Water Rescue, Kayak Guiding and Rescue all with Rescue 3 International in Alaska.
Chad has been successfully globetrotting for several years, funding these adventures by "playing" outdoors. After graduating from Technical College in Seattle Washington, he changed paths and settled into a glorious school bus dubbed "Big Flouta." Converting it into a suitable traveling home he moved from the Pacific Northwest to the Final Frontier of Alaska… on to astonishing glaciers, endless mountains, miraculous forests and the Aurora Borealis!
Chad's thirst for adventure has carried him to several regions throughout the world. From the warm climates of southeast Asia, Mexico, Central America, and the Hawaiian Islands to the chilly temperatures in South America, the Canadian High Arctic, Greenland… and, of course, Antarctica!
In the off-season you can usually find Chad working with the Earth, volunteering and continuing his education where more of his passions lie. Sustainability through natural building, permaculture and localization get this guy super excited!
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Carolina Mantella
adventure concierge
Carolina, a native of Argentina has been involved in the Antarctic tourism industry for nine years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, along with an alluring smile to everyone on the ship. With degrees in hospitality and tourism management, supplemented by experience in almost every imaginable role onboard a ship, Carolina will work with clients on a one-to-one basis to ensure that all their needs are met while on the ship. Carolina loves languages and is fluent in Spanish, Italian and English. On her time off the ships, Carolina enjoys her Patagonian town where skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and trekking are part of her daily life.
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Maureen (Mo) d'Armand
kayak guide / adventure concierge
Born and raised in Austria and moving to Alaska as a teenager, Mo was always an eager traveler and lover of glaciated peaks. Her guiding career started at the ripe age of 17, when she began kayak, raft and canoe guiding in Alaska's Backcountry.
For the past 13 years, Mo has been exploring much of Alaska and neighboring Yukon and BC's wilderness. Mo considers herself lucky to have reached such far off destinations as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park, Wrangell St. Elias and Glacier Bay National Park. Mo's passion for polar travel soon took her to the Antarctic Peninsula where she's been guiding sea kayak excursions for the past six years.
In all this backcountry fun, Mo became increasingly interested in the anatomy, physiology and kinesiology of the body, which lead her to begin her studies in massage therapy at the Heartwood Institute for Massage in 2005 and finishing in 2007 at the Vancouver School of Bodywork & Massage.
Currently residing in Seattle, Washington Mo is a happy team member at Chill Massage & Modern Apothecary in West Seattle near Lincoln Park. Mo brings a fluid style to the massage table, designing customized treatments to meet her clients' needs. Her specialty, hot stone, will come in handy after a cold night camping on the ice.
Mo is incredibly excited to bring her life's passions together offering kayak excursions as well as massage treatments aboard her favorite polar vessel, the Akademik Ioffe, where she and her husband were married in a stormy sea off South Georgia in 2008.
Mo is bilingual in English/German.
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