PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - FEBRUARY 1
- On: 02/05/2010 11:29:10
- In: Photos of the Week
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Click here to check out the photos that came in from the ships this week. There are tabular icebergs, a variety of wild and marine life, and a soothing orange sunset.
MARCIA SOMMER'S TV INTERVIEW
Marcia Sommer, our Port Operations Manager, recently attended a meeting hosted by the Port of Clarkston in Clarkston, Washington and was interviewed by KLEW Television News. Click here to view the 1:18 clip.
”Our guests are very well educated and it's a part of the country that many have been to by road but they haven't necessarily cruised on, so they love coming up on the Columbia and Snake Rivers," said Sommer. "Clarkston is great. This is the furthest east that we go. The community is very welcoming and there is a lot here for our crew and the guests.”
FEARLESS IN GALAPAGOS
The New York Times
February 2, 2010, 6:30 pm
By Olivia Judson
Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist, writes every Wednesday about the influence of science and biology on modern life.
Among biologists, the Galápagos Islands — an archipelago of volcanic islands that straddle the equator about 600 miles from the coast of mainland Ecuador — are legendary. For when the young Charles Darwin sailed around the world in the 1830s, he visited these islands, and was struck by five things. First, he observed that many of the animals and plants living in the Galápagos are found nowhere else in the world…
Click here to read the article. And, click here to take a look at how we approach the fearless creatures of Galápagos.
PLAYING WITH THE ORCAS IN ANTARCTICA
- On: 02/02/2010 09:58:33
- In: Entries from the Field
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Click here to view a Video Expedition Report from Antarctica. These guests are amazed by orca whales floating and playing around (and under) National Geographic Explorer. In the 1:45 clip, one guest mentions that the ship is moving very slowly. It's so these inquisitive visitors can check out the ship.
Captains “make the ship act like an iceberg” so whales are not frightened away. It's seems to work for our guests and the whales as well.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK JANUARY 25
- On: 02/01/2010 05:41:41
- In: Photos of the Week
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Click here to view some of the photos that came in from our ships last week.
RESCUED BEAR CUBS FIND A HOME IN NEW YORK'S BRONX ZOO
From NATGEO NEWS WATCH
By David Braun
Three young brown bears and a young grizzly bear that were rescued in separate incidences in Alaska and Montana have found a new home in New York's Bronx Zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society said today.
The three brown bear cubs are siblings and originally from Baranof Island, Alaska," WCS said in a statement accompanying these photographs. "The orphaned cubs were rescued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and temporarily held at Fortress of The Bear, an education and rescue center for bears in Sitka, Alaska.”
Click here for the entire article.
ANTARCTICA: NATURE AND SERENDIPITY SET THE SCHEDULE
- On: 01/28/2010 10:03:30
- In: Entries from the Field
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Today’s blog is contributed by guest, Maureen Reschke. Maureen recently traveled with us aboard National Geographic Explorer to Antarctica. For many people, Antarctica is a life-changing experience. We found Maureen’s blog and were amazed at how clearly it expresses the essence of her experience, including a new awareness of how important “wild places” are. We asked if she would write something for us. She did. Thanks, Maureen.
From the moment I stepped onboard the Explorer, I felt I was at home. Only this home was far, far away and floating on the Southern ocean. Since childhood, I have been fascinated with Antarctica and the explorers who traveled there. What must it be like in what Shackleton called “the weird white world”, and what about this place drew Charcot, Amundsen, Scott, Shackleton and their crews back time and again? Seeking answers to these questions, I packed my expedition gear and headed south with Lindblad and National Geographic.
I spent twenty two days on the Explorer and in that time I sailed through Drake’s Passage and the Antarctic Convergence, made a farthest south of 68.10 degrees, slept overnight in fast ice...
A TRIP ON THE PENGUIN HIGHWAY
- On: 01/27/2010 10:05:44
- In: Entries from the Field
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Photo: Adelie Penguin “Highway,” Paulet Island, Antarctica
The National Geographic Explorer continued its exploration of the Weddell Sea this fine morning by visiting impressive Paulet Island. Our captain anchored so close to our landing that we could almost step ashore. At this time of year, Paulet Island is a very busy place. Close to 100,000 pairs of Adelie penguins and a large colony of blue-eyed shags nest there. Also, skuas, giant petrels, snowy sheathbills, and kelp gulls were in attendance at the fringes of the colonies...
CHILDHOOD DREAM FULFILLED
- On: 01/26/2010 05:52:03
- In: Video Entries
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Click here to hear J. B. McCollum describe how he achieved his childhood dream of swimming with sea lions in Galápagos.
Video: David Pickar, Video Chronicler
BOW RIDING DOLPHINS IN GALAPAGOS
- On: 01/25/2010 07:41:52
- In: Video Entries
- Comments: 0
A recent timesonline.com article reported “Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as 'non-human persons'.” Click here to see some bow riding dolphins in Galápagos having a good time. Apparently, like us, they like to have fun.
Video: Jeff Litton, Video Chronicler
