Growing up around the waters of Vancouver Island, Mike's childhood was shaped by a deep connection to the outdoors and the marine environment. His early days sailing off the island's coast ignited a lifelong passion for exploration and adventure. Fuelled by this love for the sea, Mike pursued his licences as a scuba instructor and skipper, allowing him to traverse some of the planet's most remote and captivating locales.
Mike's Antarctic career started when he was invited on a bold two-month expedition aboard a 60-foot sailboat, dedicated to surveying orcas and tagging humpback whales in the remote reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula. The team also sailed the tumultuous waters of the infamous Drake Passage and rounded the formidable Cape Horn, a sought after accomplishment for any sailor. Following this expedition, Mike was invited to join the Chilean expedition company A21, where he has since served as an expedition Leader for over a decade. Leading a diverse team of adventure guides, he has shared the unparalleled beauty and wonder of Antarctica with enthusiasts from across the globe, fostering a deep appreciation for one of the planet's most pristine and awe-inspiring environments.
As a guide for Churchill Wild in the Canadian Arctic, Mike Hann has led adventurers on exhilarating walking polar bear safaris along the rugged coast of Western Hudson Bay. In this remote area, people have a unique opportunity to walk among these majestic creatures, an experience found nowhere else. This unfolds during a narrow window each year, as the polar bears gather in anticipation of the freezing Hudson Bay, marking the beginning of their hunting season. The area is also home to many wolf, wolverine, caribou, snowy owls and known as one of the best areas in the world to view the Northern Lights.
Mike was a part of a six-week expedition to the remote north coast of Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic, where he helped a team survey the elusive narwhal as part of an ongoing study to assess the impacts of marine traffic. While in the north, Mike also skippered a purpose-built research vessel, navigating the remote waters to retrieve essential acoustic monitoring equipment for the study.
For over 15 years, Mike Hann served as captain of whale-watching boats in the waters off Vancouver Island. These famous waters are home to orcas (killer whales), humpback whales and many other marine species.
