Aurora Expeditions held a christening ceremony on Sydney Harbour for its new expedition vessel, Douglas Mawson, named after the Antarctic explorer. The ship, the company's third purpose-built vessel alongside Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle, features X-BOW hull design, diesel-electric propulsion, waste-heat recovery systems, and a Citizen Science Centre for onboard research participation.
After departing Sydney, the ship will sail to Hobart to begin its inaugural voyage, a 10-night circumnavigation of Tasmania led by Tim Jarvis AM, before continuing south to Antarctica and the Sub-Antarctic Islands, then heading to Europe and the Arctic. This marks the start of regular polar operations for the new ship starting December 2025.