- AE Expeditions marks 35 years of expedition travel
- Founded in Sydney in 1991 by Greg and Margaret Mortimer
- First Antarctic expedition in 1992
- Fleet includes Greg Mortimer, Sylvia Earle and Douglas Mawson
- Operates 73 itineraries across seven continents
AE Expeditions is celebrating 35 years of pioneering expedition travel marking a journey from a small Australian operation taking adventurous travellers to Antarctica to a global expedition operator exploring all seven continents. Founded in Sydney in 1991 by adventurers Greg and Margaret Mortimer AE was built around a philosophy of taking small groups into extraordinary environments being flexible enough to respond to nature and creating experiences that inspire a deeper connection with the places being explored. That same year AE became one of the first operators to join the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators before operating its first Antarctic expedition in 1992.
Over the decades that followed AE helped push the boundaries of expedition travel. Milestones include introducing ice camping and kayaking on the Antarctic Peninsula in 1994 operating the first commercial climbers expedition to the Peninsula in 1995 launching its first Arctic expedition in 1997 introducing diving in Antarctica in 1998 and in 2001 operating the first passenger expedition to retrace Shackleton’s footsteps across South Georgia. Innovation continued with trips incorporating flights to Antarctica in 2012 and polar snorkelling in 2016. In 2019 Greg Mortimer became the first passenger vessel to feature the Ulstein X-BOW followed by Sylvia Earle in 2022 and Douglas Mawson in 2025 completing AE’s fleet of three purpose-built small expedition ships. In 2024 AE became the first and remains the only cruise line to achieve Certified B Corporation status before launching Ocean Regeneration in 2025.
Today AE operates 73 itineraries across seven continents and 26 countries. The company’s story is as much about the people who shaped it as the milestones themselves. Co-owner Michael Alscher shared that on any given day there are 500 people on AE ships and what matters most is giving those people an experience that helps them understand why these places are so special and why they need to be protected. As AE looks to the future its ships technology and destinations will continue to evolve but the elements at its core remain including small-group exploration expert-led experiences a spirit of adventure respect for the natural world and meaningful connection with the places it visits.
Michael Alscher, Co-owner of AE Expeditions, shared: “On any given day now, anywhere in the world, there are 500 people on our ships. That’s pretty incredible when you think about it. But what matters most is giving those people an experience that helps them understand why these places are so special – and why they need to be protected.”
