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World View

9/13/2022

3 Min Read

Wild Personalities: All About Bears

Our expeditions cross the globe to enter the realms of the black, brown, and polar bear as well as Borneo’s endangered sun bear. Get to know these different species we encounter out in the wild.

World View

8/23/2022

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Waking Up to Whales

On a recent voyage aboard National Geographic Sea Bird guests were treated to the spectacular sight and incredible sounds of a humpback breakfast buffet.

Daily Expedition Reports

Follow Along

Daily Expedition Reports

9/27/2022

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National Geographic Endeavour II

Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove, Isabela Island

Isabela Island is the largest island in the Galapagos archipelago. Its backbone is made of five huge shield volcanos, starting from the north: Wolf, Darwin, Alcedo, Sierra Negra, and Cerro Azul. All these massive volcanos are active, and one erupts about every three years.

Daily Expedition Reports

9/26/2022

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National Geographic Resolution

Pitcairn Island

Early this morning, we got sight of a small, rugged-looking island far off on the horizon. This was almost as exciting to us as it must have been for the HMAV Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions on January 15th, 1790 after their long search for this very same island. The island was reported by Europeans in 1767 and was named Pitcairn’s Island, after the sailor who first sighted it. At the time of discovery, no landing was attempted, and it was incorrectly charted, making it very difficult for the mutineers to find. This isolated volcanic structure rises about 1,100 feet (330 meters) above the ocean’s surface and has a land area of only 1.75 square miles. Pitcairn Island is roughly situated midway between Panama and New Zealand. Archaeological evidence shows that the island was part of an important but restricted Polynesian trade system that also included Henderson Island and Mangareva Island (the French Polynesian island from where we have just come). Pitcairn Island was inhabited for several centuries by Polynesians up until about 1500. From that time, it remained uninhabited until the coming of the Bounty mutineers led by Fletcher Christian in 1790. The new wave of settlers included nine mutineers, twelve Tahitian women, and six Tahitian men, and very soon, children were born. Although the island must have seemed like a virtual paradise upon arrival, the tiny community endured considerable discord and then violence between the British mutineers and the Tahitian men in the ensuing years. By 1800, only one of the original men (mutineer Alexander Smith, a.k.a. John Adams) was still alive. He became the leader of the community that then included nine Tahitian women and numerous children. They remained totally isolated until they were discovered in 1808 by the American sailing ship Topaz under the command of Mayhew Folger. Their descendants today are a unique blend of European and Polynesian cultures, genetics, and languages, and it is very pleasing to hear the local Pitkinese language spoken among residents.   Pitcairn Island became a British colony in 1838. By the 1850s, the community was outgrowing the island, so its leaders appealed to the British government. The Pitcairn islanders were offered Norfolk Island, and on May 3, 1856, the entire community of 193 people left for Norfolk. After eighteen months on Norfolk, seventeen of the Pitcairners decided to return home. Five years later, another twenty-seven did as well, and Pitcairn has been continuously inhabited ever since. The population peaked at 233 in 1937, and it has since fallen severely due to emigration, leaving less than fifty people living on Pitcairn today. The islanders converted to the Seventh Day Adventist Church in the 1880s, so tobacco, consumption of liquor, and pork are not allowed on the island. Gardening and fishing are important parts of the residents’ subsistence, and sometimes they produce enough to sell fresh vegetables to the rare passing ship. Pitcairn is governed under the British High Commissioner in New Zealand, who is Governor of Pitcairn and its associated islands, i.e., Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands.   Upon arrival, we collected the officials in our Zodiacs for clearance into the United Kingdom. Mayor Melva gave us a wonderful presentation that introduced us to the island. By midmorning, the Zodiacs were ready, and we began what would certainly be one of the highlights of the voyage. Once ashore in the little harbor, we were welcomed by the islanders and made our way up a road known as The Hill of Difficulty to reach Adamstown (named for John Adams). Some of us walked up the hill, while others were given rides on the backs of local quad bikes. It is important to realize our visit was as meaningful to the islanders as it was to us. The island gets very few visitors, and the staff and crew have many friends living here. The Pitcairn islanders are renowned for their artistic abilities, and the handicrafts produced here are valued by collectors around the world. There were market stands along the road and in the Main Square where local artisans sold wooden bowls and carvings made from miro wood or Polynesian rosewood, as well as postcards and other souvenirs. Word was they did very well with us insofar as selling merchandise is concerned, which is helpful to the island’s residents.   In the afternoon, we divided into groups to enjoy different activities available here on the island. A few guests opted for a difficult but rewarding hike to the highest point of the island for spectacular views. Several others hiked up to Christian’s Cave, a famous grotto that Fletcher Christian visited to retreat from his compatriots and meditate. Several other guests walked to the easternmost point of the island to visit St. Paul’s Pool, a natural swimming hole that is both filled and emptied by the sea. A few of our people managed a swim in the sheltered waters of the innermost section. Most of our group, however, went on a walking tour of the environs of Adamstown. We saw John Adams’s grave (along with the graves of his wife and daughter), historic homesites, giant banyan trees and other lush vegetation, overlooks, and the historic cemetery. The wonderful museum, with its collection of HMAV Bounty items that have been salvaged from the wreck, was extremely interesting. There was a lot to see and do here, and everyone had plenty of time to experience the island and its amazing history as they saw fit. We returned to the ship tired but satisfied. It had been a remarkable and successful day.

Daily Expedition Reports

9/26/2022

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National Geographic Endeavour II

Fernandina and Isabela Islands

In the western realm of the Galapagos, we arrived at Fernandina Island, the youngest island of the archipelago. After an amazing sunrise, we began looking for marine wildlife as we navigated across the Bolivar Channel. Dramatic views of the impressive volcanic landscape enhanced our breakfast.   We went ashore for a walk, and it was like we were transported back to a time when the land was newly formed. The highlights of our morning were countless. Galapagos marine iguanas basked along the shoreline. We found many unique creatures, including the flightless cormorant, Galapagos sea lions, and the top natural predator of the archipelago, the Galapagos hawk.   After a walk on lava flows that are only hundreds of years old, we snorkeled under great conditions. We observed iguanas, sea lions, several species of fish, and green sea turtles feeding on seaweed. We were surrounded by Galapagos penguins and had the chance to feel accepted as part of this environment. The western islands are formidable and the most remote. The newest islands are strongly influenced by the Cromwell Undercurrent, which brings cold, nutrient-rich waters. The newer islands are also pretty active volcanically.   In the afternoon, we backtracked north and navigated towards the northwestern realm of Isabela Island. We arrived at Punta Vicente Roca, a collapsed caldera of Volcano Ecuador and one of the six volcanos that form Isabela. Groups took Zodiac rides to explore the coast because the geology of the site does not allow disembarkation. We observed fur sea lions, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, Galapagos penguins, and the impressive flightless cormorant.   After a spectacular day full of activities in the field, we returned on board. We celebrated as we crossed the equator with a sunset wine tasting on the top deck. Every day in the Galapagos is an opportunity to reconnect with the beauty of nature through unbelievable encounters, and today was no exception. Today’s visit was outstanding!

Daily Expedition Reports

9/26/2022

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National Geographic Endurance

Alpefjord, Northeast Greenland National Park

Here in the North, the weather is fickle. It was only yesterday that we were racing to escape the strongest winds the ship has ever faced. Yet, in the early hours of the morning, we were rewarded with calm waters and clear skies. The most spectacular northern lights of the voyage welcomed us into this new fjord, churning and twisting like green and purple flames. It only takes a quick look up into the sky to realize why the belief in magic has endured in these latitudes.   As soon as the aurora was replaced by the sun, the expedition rushed into the Zodiacs to cruise and explore the fjord. The glacier, flanked by the brownish traces of its past glory, towered above our boats like a giant. Only the peaks surrounding it seemed big enough to contain the glacier’s inexorable advance. Everyone aboard our fleet was mesmerized by the whites and blues of the frozen colossus. After gazing at it for hours, we reluctantly made our way back to the ship, where we enjoyed a well-deserved lunch.   After a short break, our expedition headed back into the Zodiacs. This time, however, instead of cruising through the water of the fjord, we had the opportunity to go ashore. Setting foot on one of the oldest lands in the world is hard to convey in just a few words, even more so when one is walking under the gaze of the ancient geological layers present in every surface protruding from the water.   Going back to the ship keeps getting harder and harder every time as the wonders of Greenland unravel before us.

Daily Expedition Reports

9/26/2022

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National Geographic Islander II

Santa Cruz Island

We started our day early on Santa Cruz Island, located in the center of the archipelago. We passed through town, the biggest settlement in the archipelago, on our way to the highlands, where our visit took place. We visited El Trapiche farm, where we met a family that farms coffee and sugarcane. We learned how the people of the highlands live, and we also tried some of the products they grow. Afterwards, we visited Los Gemelos, big geological formations in the middle of a Scalesia forest. Surrounded by this special vegetation, we explored the ecosystem, birds, and epiphytes. To end the morning, we visited El Manzanillo Ranch, where tortoises are found everywhere. The ranch is located right in the middle of the migration route of these prehistoric animals, so we had the opportunity to see them up close and learn all about them while they were feeding, sleeping, and walking around.   In the afternoon, we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station and the National Park Headquarters. We walked on a special path created to educate visitors about the projects these institutions are working on. We explored a small part of town and the fish market, where we saw the catch of the day on display.