Experience Antarctica

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Expedition Stories

Close up of Super Diego, the Galápagos tortoise

A group of children study some written material while out in the woods

Meet Super Diego: The Galápagos Tortoise Who Saved His Species

After fathering hundreds of offspring through a breeding program set up to save the Española Island tortoise species, Super Diego has finally retired to the wilds of his youth. Here is his remarkable story.

Daily expedition reports

Daily Expedition Reports

7/4/2022

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National Geographic Venture

The Inian Islands

The Fourth of July aboard National Geographic Venture proved vastly different from those its passengers had experienced in the past. Within the confines of the Inian Islands, rolling fog replaced fireworks, hotdog feasts were replaced with sea lion feeding frenzies, and we played in the cathedral of the wilderness in lieu of on the baseball diamond. One constant remained, however: bald eagles proliferated overhead. The morning was spent kayaking as passengers explored the rocky shores of the isles. With their traveling companions, guests enjoyed intimate glimpses of the kelp forest and pigeon guillemots. Zodiac cruises rife with wildlife encounters filled the afternoon. As we zipped between the islands, hordes of subadult Steller sea lions approached our craft with intense curiosity. Their heads poked from the depths only briefly before they darted off, moving in hypnotic waves. Rockfish caught in the gyrations of the sea were forced to the surface where they were promptly snatched up by gulls, bald eagles, and sea lions. Removed from the chaos of currents and predation, sea otters wrapped within the kelp reminded us of the fantastic biodiversity of Southeast Alaska. Currently, National Geographic Venture sits at the precipice of Glacier Bay National Park. As a waning sun bathes the shores in a golden glow, all aboard wait with bated breath for the adventures tomorrow is sure to hold.

Daily Expedition Reports

7/4/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Flatey Island & Latrabjarg, Iceland

Today we started the day at the picturesque island of Flatey, just off the Icelandic west coast. Given that it was a beautiful sunny day, a short Zodiac ride took us ashore to start our exploration. The island has a small community with brightly colored houses that contrast well with the green scenery. With a plethora of birds coming and going to their nests, the highlight was definitely the wildlife. A lot of the birds must have had young chicks recently, as they were bringing in fish to feed them. This included the iconic Atlantic puffin and also noisy arctic terns and black guillemots. The island of Flatey is also known for its church, with a ceiling covered in frescoes that represent local scenes, like fishing. It even includes Jesus dressed in an Icelandic sweater. One of the oldest libraries in the world is located right behind the church. You can easily imagine curling up with a book for a summer afternoon in such a cozy little place. Given that it’s the 4th of July, we celebrated today with a traditional barbeque on the top deck before we headed off to Latrabjarg’s bird cliffs. As we sailed by on the ship, we saw lots of birds flying and in the water, including the bridled morph of the common guillemot with white lines around the eyes that look like spectacles. The day wasn’t over yet. After Captain’s welcome cocktails and dinner, we found ourselves surrounded by humpback whales. They were mostly feeding, but we spotted the occasional breach, which was a fitting end to a superb day.

Daily Expedition Reports

7/3/2022

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National Geographic Venture

Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier

National Geographic Venture crosses the bar at 6:00 a.m. as it enters Endicott Arm. The bar is the terminal moraine created by the retreat of the Dawes Glacier, which is the day’s destination. Out and about on the bow, a guest exclaims, “That is nice,” and a naturalist responds, “Yes, that is really a nice piece of gneiss. Be careful not to take it for granite.” There is nothing like a bit of geology humor to start the day. Large groups of scoters and murrelets, a handful of humpback whales, and a baker’s dozen of Steller sea lions are out and about in the early morning. The interaction of light on the ice entranced us as we spent time at the glacier’s face while white thunder rolled across the bay. The fjord is a place for pondering time and the erosional power of ice as one gazes up the vertical walls or gazes out at the arêtes and horns that mark the ice’s depth during the glacial maxims of the Pleistocene. The fjord’s colors soften on our exit as the sun drops on the horizon, bringing the day towards its culmination.

Daily Expedition Reports

7/3/2022

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National Geographic Endeavour II

North Seymour and Rábida

For this first full day, we started with a walk over North Seymour Island, located on the north side of Baltra Island (officially known as South Seymour). This uplifted island is also known as Bird Island. It is home to a nice community of marine birds, such as blue-footed boobies, two species of frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls (the only nocturnal gull). For our afternoon activities, we snorkeled by a red colored beach on Rábida island. We concluded the day with a stroll over an iron-oxide beach. Along the trail, we explored a saltwater lagoon with sixteen American flamingos. We even saw some nests!

Daily Expedition Reports

7/1/2022

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National Geographic Islander

Chinese Hat & Sullivan Bay

We are halfway through our expedition aboard National Geographic Islander , and today we visited two different islands in the Galapagos. In the morning, we explored the shores of Chinese Hat by Zodiac, kayak, and snorkeling. We found amazing wildlife, like penguins, Galapagos hawks, sea lions, and more. Midday, National Geographic Islander moved location to a place called Sullivan Bay, where we explored one of the largest eruptions in the Galapagos in the last 200 years.

Joining us on any expedition means signing up for adventure; and the reward for your curiosity is inevitable—the most exhilarating experience of pure discovery possible.

Sven-Olof Lindblad

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)

1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)