Founder + owner. Expedition Guide. polar Enthusiast.
Heather Thorkelson
Originally from Canada but now calling Sweden home, Heather has worked in the polar expedition world for almost a decade and a half. She fell in love with the polar regions when she first visited Svalbard in 2007 and was overwhelmed by the peace of its vast landscape. Soon, she was venturing south on an expedition to Antarctica, where she has since returned to over 40 times as a polar guide and general naturalist.
Heather is committed to supporting the highest standards of professionalism in the polar guiding industry and was inducted to the Board of Directors for the Polar Tourism Guides Association in 2018. From 2020-2024 she was CEO of a second polar company, Polar Pioneer Management, with colleagues in Scandinavia. Unable to shake the polar bug, in 2025 she launched a Polar Tracks sub-brand, Minimal Impact Cruises.
Having travelled to over 50 countries and lived in seven, she loves connecting people from around the world to their polar trip of a lifetime.
Photo credit: Dean Tatooles