Mikhail Barabanov

Originally from St Petersburg, Russia, and raised in Luxembourg, Mikhail now calls Switzerland home. Though his path has taken him through several countries and disciplines, one thing has remained constant, a fascination for the natural world and the remote places where it still thrives.

Mikhail holds a postgraduate degree in Marine Mammal Science from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he specialized in marine mammal acoustics, studying how whales, dolphins, and seals use sound to navigate and communicate. His research has led him from the volcanic shores of Kamchatka to the blue waters of the Bahamas, always in pursuit of understanding the unseen and unheard world beneath the surface.

He first stumbled into expedition work by chance, but soon realized that guiding in the polar regions was where all his passions converged. Over the past four years, he has worked across both the Arctic and Antarctica, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for the coldest corners of the planet.

Outside of guiding, Mikhail is an avid photographer and videographer, always seeking to capture the quiet drama of light, ice, and ocean.

What began as an unexpected turn in his career has become a calling, one he’s not sure he’ll ever want to leave behind. He looks forward to sharing his curiosity and appreciation for the cold, the emptiness, and the silence of the polar world with you on this voyage.