What does a penguin wear under its tuxedo? Apparently not much. A shot featured in our February 26 Daily Expedition Report is pulling down international press attention and turning the heads of scientists around the world. National Geographic photographer Andrew Evans shot this photo of an extremely rare all-black King Penguin on the island of South Georgia near Antarctica while traveling with us aboard National Geographic Explorer. Andrew Evans traveled from Washington D.C. to the tip of Tierra del Fuego by bus, where we traded in his bus pass for a ticket aboard our ship. He’s posted on our Exploration’s blog about his trip as well as his Twitter feed, @Bus2Antarctica. He’s now safely returned to Washington D.C. with a lifetime of memories, and the aforementioned photo of the “one in a zillion” all-black penguin.

A stream of breathtaking images flows across the desktops here at Lindblad HQ, but once in awhile we see something that serves as a striking reminder of just how close our guests get to the wildlife. A March 9th Daily Expedition Report from our crew on a Galápagos cruise included this amazing shot of a solitary male Orca breaching alongside a Zodiac ferrying our guests. It is precisely the extraordinary, unplanned moments like these that stay with our guests forever, and these eye-level wildlife encounters are only available from the Zodiacs and kayaks that travel with all of our expedition vessels.

Read about the encounter in the March 9th Daily Expedition Report, check out the slideshow, or take a look at our Galápagos itineraries and get started planning your own close encounters.

Climate Goal Is Supported by China and India

By John M. Broder
Published: March 9, 2010
The New York Times

WASHINGTON — China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreement reached in December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up.

The two countries, among the largest and fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, submitted letters to the United Nations agreeing to be included on a list of countries covered by the Copenhagen Accord, a three-page nonbinding statement reached at the end of the contentious and chaotic 10-day conference.

China and India join more than 100 countries that have signed up under the accord, which calls for limiting the rise in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, beyond pre-industrial levels.

Click here to read the article.

by, Ben Lyons, Chief Officer, National Geographic Explorer

Gold Harbour, South Georgia Island

When I am aboard National Geographic Explorer as Chief Officer, I’m often asked what my favorite destination is. While I find it hard to nail down only one destination, I can, however, describe what stands out as my most memorable landing.

In October 2008 I was on the National Geographic Endeavour for an early season expedition to South Georgia and the Falklands. We had anchored for the night in Gold Harbour, South Georgia, in anticipation of a sunrise landing. When my watch on the bridge began at 4am, conditions were clear and perfect, and what was already a beautiful setting slowly became brilliant as the sun approached the horizon. Large sections of ice, broken off from a hanging glacier in the bay, gradually took on a remarkable pink hue. When the sunlight finally shone directly onto the shore, the landing exploded in color with the glistening feathers of the King Penguins and the green grass set against the towering mountains behind…

This week there is quite a range of photos that have been sent in from the expedition ships. Click here for a view.

Take a look at National Geographic editor/blogger Andrew Evans’ happiness as two baby Gentoo penguins pay him an unforgettable visit. Here's a snipet of the blog:

Be jealous. I got to hold a penguin in my lap.

The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) guidelines and the Antarctic Treaty forbid the touching of any wildlife – in fact, you need to stay a good 15 feet away from all animals at all times. As non-signatories to either agreement, the penguins are above the law--if they come to you, well, then you just let them. But you still can't touch them.

A highlight of my Lindblad expedition was our visit to the thriving Gentoo penguin colony at Port Lockroy, an old British base. There were thousands of pairs of adult penguins and several thousand puffy baby penguins, hatched this summer season. Almost full grown, the babies were hungry and demanding – this is the time when their parents stop feeding them via regurgitation. The babies wait for their adult feathers to grow in, waiting and waiting until they finally figure out that they need to go in the water and catch their own food. It's a tough reality check and some of the babies don't like it one bit – they still want to be fed… Click here to go to Andrew's blog.

By Ben Lyons, Chief Officer, National Geographic Explorer

While Christmas usually conjures up images of gatherings with family, gift giving or warm fireplace, my Christmas this year on National Geographic Explorer was somewhat different.
 
My day involved spending almost six hours in a Zodiac, in Antarctica, shuttling three penguins scientists between Adelie penguin colonies.
 
On every Antarctica departure we carry scientists from Oceanites, an organization conducting research in how climate change, tourism, or other factors may be affecting penguin populations in this part of the world. Both National Geographic Explorer, and National Geographic Endeavour who traveled these waters before her, are great vehicles for their research, potentially allowing access to a myriad number of penguin colonies instead of more typical penguin population studies that focus only on a single resident population. As a result, members of Oceanites staff have been able to conduct the widest ranging study of penguin populations in Antarctica and, in 16 seasons of work, the project has made more than 1,000 visits to more than 125 sites…

By April Darcy, Documents Coordinator

In November 2008, I traveled through Peru and Chile aboard National Geographic Explorer. As I watch the news coverage of the devastation after the earthquake in Chile on Friday, I can’t help but reflect back on my expedition.

Traveling in South America is a study in geology and earthquake preparedness. As a person born and raised in the northeastern United States, until this expedition I had never felt an earthquake, never witnessed an erupting volcano. I’ve always taken for granted an earth that stands firmly and solidly beneath my feet.

From the moment I arrived in Lima, I saw differences between my understanding of the earth and that of South Americans. My hotel in Lima had enormous support columns up and down all of its hallways. Emergency instructions on the back of the hotel room door stated earthquake safety instructions. The very next day, as I was shopping in a downtown Lima open air market, an earthquake struck. My first hazy thought was that something heavy must have fallen down nearby. I didn’t realize it was an earthquake until I saw the fear in the eyes of the locals as they checked their structures for safety and reached for their cell phones to call their families…