Marine scientist and author Thor Heyerdahl, Jr., studied natural sciences at the University of California, with a focus on marine biology. In 1970, he also attained a master’s degree in marine biology from the University of Oslo. As part of his research at the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway, he tracked whales and polar bears, conducted fishery surveys and monitored oceanic oil pollution. This work took him to the far corners of the world—from the coastal waters of Norway and Greenland to the North Sea and as far as the Arctic.

Thor has also played an integral role in the development of Oslo’s Kon-Tiki Museum, which commemorates the incredible life and voyages of his namesake father—the great Norwegian anthropologist and explorer Thor Heyerdahl. Now, after many years of serving as a director and chairman of the museum’s board, Thor remains involved as a senior adviser.