Aurora Expeditions chief executive officer Michael Heath (pictured) has resigned, as first revealed by travelBulletin‘s sister publication Cruise Weekly on Friday.
Heath spent four years as Aurora’s chief executive officer, helping the cruise line to recover from the pandemic, which saw one of its ships, Greg Mortimer, stranded in Uruguay after being refused entry to a number of countries.
His leadership included Aurora successfully expanding its fleet to three ships, with the debut of Sylvia Earle in 2022 and most recently, Douglas Mawson in December. Heath also oversaw an improvement in Aurora’s responsible travel record, with the cruise line becoming a B Corp in 2024.
He also recently expanded CounterCurrent’s emissions-focused technology across Aurora’s entire fleet, after a successful trial season in Antarctica aboard Douglas Mawson.
“The board would like to sincerely thank Michael for his tremendous contribution, leadership, and commitment to the business and wishes him every success in the future,” the line said in a statement to Cruise Weekly.
“During his tenure, Michael has played a pivotal role in leading Aurora Expeditions through the challenges of the post-COVID recovery period, while helping position the business for long-term global growth.
“Michael has also been instrumental in driving Aurora’s continued focus on responsible travel, operational excellence and delivering immersive guest experiences in some of the world’s most remote and extraordinary destinations.”
Aurora will now seek a new CEO, with Heath to work with the cruise line’s board “to ensure a smooth and orderly transition” before his last day on Friday.
Heath leaves on a high, with Aurora having recently delivered a record 2025/26 Antarctic season, welcoming a 30% passenger increase.
