Experience Antarctica

new october and november 2022 departures added

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 Sea Lion

Wrangell

Today we woke up to a gorgeous day aboard National Geographic Sea Lion while sailing to the town of Wrangell. As we docked, we could see this cute town set in the trees with a beautiful blue sky above it. After breakfast, we set out for the dock and were whisked away on jetboats. These metal-hulled crafts have jet engines capable of sailing in just a foot of water. Even though it was low tide, we easily sailed away from Wrangell and up the Stikine River. We stopped at a couple of places, including stops to see 30-40 harbor seals hauled out on a sandbar and a small forest cabin tucked back in the woods. The breathtaking sights were seen from each window because this area is almost indescribable. Upon reaching the base of Castle Mountain, we observed the glacially carved fjords on either side. In front, a vast sea of icebergs was grounded by low tide, making it safe to approach them. This is the closest you can get to icebergs, as there is no chance of them flipping or moving as our jet boats carved through the waters. After about 30 mins of photography and awestruck excitement, we raced back down the river and towards National Geographic Sea Lion . After lunch, we donned our expedition gear and headed back into the town of Wrangell. A bus shuttled us over to a traditional Tlingit longhouse where we enjoyed a tour of the gorgeous totem poles. Then we were treated to a ceremony inside the longhouse. Once finished, we visited a museum to witness the history of this place and the indigenous peoples who settled this land thousands of years ago. The magnificence of so many artifacts rounded out the culture and beauty of this land and left us eternally grateful for the preservation of these lands. Back onboard, we set sail for an area we have never sailed through before to look at the beautiful forest. During sunset, we had cocktail hour on the bow and reminisced about our fantastic day. After dinner, naturalist Sharon Grainger gave a presentation on Trade Beads of the Northwest Coast. She showed us an incredible display of her own collection of beads and shared with us her knowledge of the Tlingit people. Today was truly one for the books, and we went off to bed excited for the day yet to come.

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)