QUEST
OCEAN EXPEDITIONS
From the tropical waters of the Caribbean to the icy reaches of the Arctic
Where Experience Meets the Horizon — Led by a Life at Sea
Quest Ocean Expeditions is proudly family-run, offering a personal touch and genuine passion in every voyage. At the helm is Captain Goeran, a seasoned mariner with decades of experience navigating the world’s oceans, and by his side is his wife Hilda, who started early life on a sailboat. Captain Goeran is featured in the BBC documentary Horizon: Freak Waves, where he recounts the rescue of an expedition cruise ship from a rogue wave in the Southern Ocean. With his extensive experience in extreme conditions, he guides each voyage with a deep respect for the ocean.
Captain Goeran Persson
Goeran started on a fishing trawler in Sweden at the age of 16, and has since spent most of his life at sea. After graduating from the Merchant Marine Academy in 1979 he has worked as captain and chief officer in commercial shipping throughout the world, including 11 years on an expedition cruise ship covering Indonesia, The South Pacific, Antarctica and the Arctic. He has also been captain on 160 foot Mega yachts and a live aboard dive vessel. When he hasn’t been working on ships he has been sailing his own yachts, including six Atlantic crossings.
Goeran is also a certified marine guide, and a Dive Master. He took his Dive master certification in Antarctica while working there.
During 15 years when not working at sea he designed and built S/Y Quest to the highest specifications to operate as an expedition yacht and live aboard dive yacht.
Since 2011 he has operated S/Y Quest full time. After leaving Sweden in June 2011 he first sailed to the Arctic for an expedition to Svalbard before heading south to a warmer climate.
Responsible Tourism
Goeran Persson is a partner of the World Cetacean Alliance working with a global network of tourism and conservation partners to protect whales, dolphins and porpoise in the wild
Hilda Christensson, First Mate & Chef
Hilda developed a passion for life at sea at an early age. She attended maritime school at 15 and sailed aboard a tall ship from Sweden to Portugal. In 2008, at the age of 18, she purchased her first yacht and lived aboard for four years in the fishing harbour in Malmö, Sweden, while rebuilding the entire deck and parts of the interior. She earned her Yachtmaster at the age of 23.
In addition to her maritime background, Hilda has experience as a team leader with the Swedish Red Cross and has undertaken training in crisis management.
She holds a master’s degree in education from Lund University, with a focus on history. After working as a teacher in language, literature, and history, Hilda now brings her passion onboard as the historic guide on longer expeditions, sharing the stories, cultures, and historical contexts of the regions visited.
Hilda also brings a passion for quality food, and a culinary background influenced by international cuisine.
