AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions) was founded in 1991 by Greg and Margaret Mortimer, two passionate explorers with a vision to take small groups of travellers on transformative journeys to the world’s most remote regions. Named after Sir Douglas Mawson’s historic ship, Aurora was built on the belief that immersive, personal expeditions create lifelong ambassadors for the protection of these pristine environments.

More than three decades later, our pioneering spirit remains unchanged. Our purpose-built small ships offer greater flexibility, allowing us to navigate ice, tides, and weather with ease. Fewer travellers mean more opportunities for solitude, more time ashore, and the freedom to adapt to nature’s rhythms. With expeditions ranging from 8 to 30 days, you can focus on a single destination or combine voyages for the ultimate adventure.

As a Certified B Corporation™, we are committed to sustainability and protecting the world’s wild places. Join us in exploring these extraordinary landscapes while helping to preserve them for future generations.

An expedition is more than a big adventure, it's a journey that changes you. The most meaningful adventures are the ones that tread lightly, leaving the wild places we visit as pristine as we found them.

As a Certified B Corporation™ and proudly Carbon Neutral, we believe adventure and responsibility go hand in hand. Our small ships feature cutting-edge technology, and every voyage blends adventure, conservation and education, so you can explore the world while helping to protect it.

Go where few have gone. Come back changed, ready to share your story.

Responsible Travel

Founded in 1991 by legendary mountaineer Greg Mortimer and wife Margaret Mortimer – both environmentalists – AE Expeditions (part of Aurora Expeditions) has been dedicated to sustainability since its inception and is now honoured to be a Certified B Corporation™ or ‘B Corp’.

Our Sustainability Commitment: Protecting the World's Wild Places

Since the start, we have embraced a responsibility to inspire, educate and advocate for the protection, preservation and regeneration of wild places across the globe, in order to inspire a global community of ambassadors for the planet. Not only do we care about reducing our footprint environmentally, we are taking real actions for the care of the planet and are doing more to help make a positive impact on the planet.

Education and enrichment is an integral part of every voyage. Our experienced Expedition Team, experts in various fields such as marine biology, mountaineering and environmental science, share real-time observations and knowledge with passengers, fostering a deep appreciation for the planet’s unique landscapes.

We know there’s a long way to go, and are committed to continuously learning, advancing and improving our technology, operations, and activities and staying true to our purpose and values while growing alongside the B Corp movement. But we’re proud of how far we’ve come on our journey to being the global leader in sustainable expedition travel!

Where Adventure Meets Sustainability

Sustainability has always been at the heart of everything we do. From offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions and becoming carbon neutral to seeking meaningful ways to engage with and improve opportunities for Inuit communities, we are continuously looking for ways to improve our business operations in this ever-evolving space. In January 2024, all of our efforts culminated in us becoming a Certified B Corp. This feat took over two years and involved undergoing a comprehensive assessment process that evaluated every area of our business. Find out more about the rigorous assessment and view our ‘scorecard’ here. 

Learn about some of our key milestones on the path to becoming the global leader in sustainable expedition travel and our diverse sustainability initiatives below.

Certified B Corporation™

We are thrilled to have officially become a B Corp, solidifying our commitment to social and environmental responsibility. This rigorous certification reflects our dedication to meeting high standards of transparency, accountability, and sustainability in our business practices. As a B Corp, we join a global community of businesses using their influence to drive positive change, balancing business with purpose. This milestone underscores our ongoing commitment to prioritise people and the planet in every aspect of our operations. We are proud to be part of a movement that seeks to redefine success in business and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future. Find out more about our journey to becoming a Certified B Corporation™.

Climate Action

In direct response to the pressing challenges posed by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, AE Expeditions took decisive action in 2021 to operate as a carbon neutral business. Beyond offsetting 100% of our greenhouse gas emissions, we also track, measure and reduce emissions across our business and supply chain. We have developed an emissions reduction plan, which is in line with science-based targets (targets that climate science deems necessary to limit global warming to 1.5°C). We have recently joined forces with Australian, female-founded tech company, Trace, to elevate our Climate Action plans and map our pathway towards a net-zero future.

Community Engagement

To enhance meaningful engagement with Inuit communities of the Arctic, we have partnered with the Oxen Network’s Community Ambassador Program for select itineraries in Greenland and the Northwest Passage. The program seeks to increase opportunities for Inuit community members to participate in, contribute to and share the experience of expedition cruise voyages in the Arctic voyages with those who have travelled from around the world to visit their ancestral homelands. Key objectives include fostering economic and social benefits for Inuit, promoting cultural exchange with expedition travellers, and building awareness within communities. It promotes more organic interactions between visitors and Inuit during voyages, enhancing opportunities for expedition travellers to learn from and share experiences with Inuit.

Clean Up Initiatives

We participate in Clean Up Svalbard and Clean Up Iceland, two AECO initiatives aimed at clearing the coastline of these regions of marine debris. Our clean-up efforts extend to our headquarters in Sydney and global remote teams with Clean Up for Sarah, an initiative that honours Sarah Auffret, a beloved environmental warrior, polar guide and expedition leader. We also participate in Take 3’s CEO Clean Up, and have contributed to more than 56,000 pieces of rubbish being removed from the environment in Sydney. Our clean-up initiatives aim to do more than remove litter from our local environments. Our goal is to promote environmental awareness, bring greater attention to the importance of keeping our oceans and lands clean, and inspire meaningful action towards a more sustainable future. 

Single-Use Plastics

The rising tide of plastic pollution threatens our oceans, ecosystems and marine life. Recognising the global reliance on plastics, we know we cannot eliminate all plastics from our business operations. But we are committed to eliminating single-use plastics and recycling reusable plastics as they reach end-of-life. Back in 2019, we made significant strides towards eliminating single-use plastics, including providing aluminium water bottles to passengers upon request, with water-refiling stations fitted across our vessels, eliminating plastic items such as stirrers, cups and straws, as well as sourcing cleaning products in bulk and storing them in reusable containers. We continue to take action, advocating for change and collaborating with partners to improve plastic initiatives in our operations and along our supply chain.

Ships Purpose-Built for Sustainability

Over the last three years, we have transitioned to operating two new innovative and state-of-the-art ships, named after environmental champions – the Greg Mortimer and the Sylvia Earle. Both ships feature a suite of sustainable technologies and designs. Find out more about our ships’ features here.