Shelli Ogilvy

Shelli Ogilvy was born and raised in Alaska. She grew up in a rural town separated from the road system, with glaciers, whales, bears and big mountains as her backyard. Shelli has been guiding as a wilderness leader since 1997. She has been working as an expedition guide in the polar regions of both Antarctica and Arctic beginning in 2007 through the present. Master in Sea Kayak and Zodiac driving/ Marine Biologist and wilderness Naturalist. When not guiding on ships, she works taking small groups by sea kayak out into wilderness settings for overnight camping trips in Alaska.

Shelli obtained her Bachelor of Science in 2001 with a major in Marine Biology. She has worked with several different research groups, primarily studying identification and biology of humpback and gray whales off the North Pacific Coast, as well as many observational studies in South Atlantic/ Pacific and Antarctic waters. Her passion for spending time over the years in Polar Regions makes her more aware of changing environments, ice, glaciers, and distribution of wildlife.

Her other background includes commercial and subsistence fishing, exploring the waters of the North and South via sea kayak. Needless to say being on the ocean is the places she best calls home. When not guiding, Shelli is an accomplished artist. She published an illustrated bird book in 2009 and is shown in several small galleries. Other interests include working on her small cabin in Alaska, backcountry skiing, fly-fishing, and above all sharing these beautiful polar landscapes.