Steven Zeff

Steve Zeff is a Naturalist, Certified Field Educator, science teacher and whale research associate who has worked across destinations from the polar regions to the tropics with Lindblad Expeditions since 1999.

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Steve teaches science at an international school and coordinates a global citizenship program that helps students develop leadership skills for positive change. He also leads National Geographic Explorers-in-Training youth education programs aboard the fleet.

Earlier in his career, Steve spent a decade living in Hawai‘i, where he was involved in marine conservation programs, led naturalist training courses and regularly participated in humpback whale research. He served as Director of Scientific Communications for the Center for Whale Studies, a long-term research project dedicated to the protection and study of humpback whales. Over the years, he has observed more than 50 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the wild.

Steve holds a master’s degree in Natural Resource Management from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, a marine science certificate from the University of Hawai‘i and an international teaching certificate from the University of Cambridge and the European Council of International Schools. Earlier in his studies, he pursued behavioral biology at the University of Pennsylvania and business studies at the Wharton School before ultimately choosing a career focused on exploration and the natural world.

When not teaching or guiding expeditions, he enjoys kayaking, hiking and birdwatching in the Swedish countryside near his traditional red summerhouse.