Our expedition team
With backgrounds in over two decades of Arctic field work, conservation storytelling, award winning photography, publishing of bestseller books, science education and the leading of Arctic expeditions, our team has an unmatched experience and expertise. But most importantly: we do this because we love the Arctic, its wildlife and nature.
Our guides
Fredrik Granath
Expedition leader and producer Fredrik Granath works together with his partner, photographer Melissa Schäfer, and their Motherbear Productions, documenting the nature and wildlife of the Arctic. The focus is on the life of the polar bear and its role in a changing climate.
Fredrik is a leading expert on field work and production in the polar regions. He has assembled a unique expertise of working under the most extreme conditions and is specialised in polar bears. Since 2001 Fredrik has been working around the Arctic on his own projects, and also as a producer for other film- and photographic projects, including work for film studios and the National Geographic. He has been published in the New York Times, Vanity Fair and many others, and co-authored the book “Polar Tales” with Melissa Schäfer.
Together with their Motherbear Productions, Fredrik and Melissa organise expeditions in the Arctic with the ship M/S Freya since 2016.
Melissa Schäfer
From her early childhood days in Hamburg, Germany, Melissa has viewed the world through her camera lens. With a background in creative and portrait photography she has always had a unique eye for the surroundings. A deep love for the Arctic and polar bears as well as a strong commitment to nature and the environment is a foundation for all her work.
In 2020 Melissa and Fredrik published their award winning, best selling book “Polar Tales” worldwide in English. It has also been published in German as “Das Königreich der Eisbären”, Swedish as “Bortom isbjörnens rike” and Chinese. Melissa is the founder and editor in chief of the “Mother” magazine, which launched in 2023 and since then has been distributed in 55 countries.. She has been published by The New York Times, National Geographic, GEO and many others.
Melissa and Fredrik live outside Stockholm, Sweden with their daughter Linnea, who was born in 2025.
Lianna Nixon
Lianna is an award-winning conservation storyteller, environmental science educator, and experienced expedition leader and guide.
Her work explores how storytelling impacts learning about climate science and intersectional environmentalism. Today she works for Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) to help scientists communicate their work to the public. Lianna's work has been published in magazines such as GEO, CBS, ABC, Stern, Nature, PM, and many academic journals. Lianna also worked at the MOSAiC expedition, drifting through the North Pole pack-ice for months, studying the changing sea ice.
She is specialised in the Arctic region and has vast experience of working around Alaska and Svalbard. She has worked as expedition leader and guide on many expeditions around the Arctic, in Alaska, Greenland and on Svalbard since 2017.
Lianna and her husband Casey live in Vancouver, Washington, U.S.A. with their dogs Maya and Ace.
Acacia Johnson
Acacia is a photographer and writer whose stories spotlight the environment, conservation and the connections between people and place. Her work for the National Geographic Magazine, TIME, The New York Times and others, has covered a variety of topics—from Inuit hunting traditions on Baffin Island to snow algae in polar environments and much more. She has also been recognized by Forbes, the International Center of Photography, and National Geographic’s Best Photos of the Century.
In the beginning of her career, Acacia led and guided more than 55 expeditions throughout the Arctic and Antarctica. Her confidence and enthusiasm in remote wilderness environments are fundamental to her work, as are her unwavering commitment to integrity, respect for nature, and strong ethical principles.
Acacia is an avid wilderness explorer and also an experienced scuba diver. She regularly collaborates with her husband Robb, a bush pilot, on aerial photography and expedition logistics, allowing them to access some of the world’s most remote landscapes. They live in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A.
Bringing new friends into the Arctic and sharing this extraordinary world aboard M/S Freya has become one of the greatest joys of our lives. Many of our guests leave as lifelong friends, united by moments and memories we will carry together forever.
We invite you to experience the Arctic through our eyes—its breathtaking landscapes, remarkable wildlife, and quiet magic. But just as meaningful to us is seeing it through yours. Your sense of wonder, curiosity, and excitement reminds us, on every expedition, how truly extraordinary this wild place is.
Fredrik, Melissa, Acacia and Lianna
For booking requests and questions, please send us a message here
You can also send an e-mail to info@themotherbear.com
This expedition is produced in collaboration with the Swedish travel agency Expeditionsresor, one of the best adventure travel operators in the world. They handle all reservations. After making a booking request, they will get in contact with you by e-mail to finalize your reservation.