Our fleet navigates the world in search of adventure. These are the stories they bring back…
Featured Articles
9/27/2021
3 Min Read
Starting spring 2022, National Geographic Sea Lion embarks on a series of brand-new itineraries unlike any others in the region. Join us to explore the Eastern Seaboard in a way few ever will.
9/17/2021
3 Min Read
Award-winning travel writer and actor Andrew McCarthy knows a thing or two about what it means to ‘go farther.’ Here’s what inspires him to head into the unknown.
In Brief
10/25/2021
4 Min Read
To the uninitiated, Scotland’s wildlife amounts to a whole lot of sheep, those shaggy Highland cows, and of course, Nessie! But there’s an abundance of other species if you know where to look.
10/18/2021
3 Min Read
Get to know these incredible--and incredibly slow--canopy dwellers.
9/23/2021
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10/26/2021
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National Geographic Endeavour II
We started our morning with a wonderful hike in Urbina Bay. This place is very special because land Iguanas are all over the place, and today was no exception. We saw them digging their borrows and feeding on flowers! After this warm-weather hike, jumping into the water was the best option for some of our guests. The water was just in the right temperature to relax. After this activity, Naturalist Salvador Cazar shared with us a very interesting talk about Galapagos human history and then it was time for the Ecuadorian Lunch, pride of our ship’s galley. We love this moment because it is our opportunity to share our culture and food. After a deserved siesta, it was time to go kayaking or snorkeling along Tagus Cove. Penguins, sharks, rays, marine iguanas, sea turtles, flightless cormorants, and different kinds of fish swam next to us. Galapagos animals are so calm around humans that we could take all the pictures we want and they stayed still for us. To end the day, we had a perfect sunset with purple colors.
10/25/2021
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National Geographic Sea Lion
With a chill in the air and a promise of 61 degrees, we set off to explore Idaho. Our pathway paralleled the Corps of Discovery travels – both on their 1805 downstream voyage and 1806 upstream return to retrieve their horses left with the Nez Perce people. Our pathway detoured however with excursions to two of the some 60 wineries that call Idaho home. We ended our day with a presentation and tasting from Coco Umiker of Clearwater Canyon Cellars. It was a beautiful day to explore countryside, vineyards and the history of this magnificent valley.
10/24/2021
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National Geographic Endeavour II
During our first full day into the itinerary, the guests of the National Geographic Endeavour II explored North Seymour Island. In the morning, everybody went on a hike to observe and photograph marine birds like blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds. During the afternoon, our guests had the chance to snorkel and hike on Rabida Island.
10/23/2021
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National Geographic Sea Lion
The familiar sounds of National Geographic Sea Lion smoothly pulling up to dock woke us this morning as we approached our mooring in Clarkston, WA. Our final full day has brought us to the limits of navigability on the Snake River, where it pours out of Hells' Canyon to the south and meets the Clearwater River rushing down from the Rocky Mountains to the east. Near here the Corps of Discovery had found friendly Nez Perce people, and a welcome respite after their perilous crossing of the mountains in the autumn of 1805. We have a chance today to explore some of this history, as well as gain a glimpse into the modern culture and economies of the valley.
10/23/2021
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National Geographic Quest
As we woke up today aboard National Geographic Quest , we were greeted with some “ Oregon sunshine,” more widely known as heavy rains. The bridge officers carefully maneuvered the ship to a close proximity of the pier in Astoria. While the guests enjoyed breakfast, our hard working deckhands tied us up and lowered the gangway so we could safely disembark for the day’s activities. Our expedition leader, Seph Duggan, encouraged us to prepare for a bucket of precipitation to fall from the sky. However, most of the day was relatively dry to our surprise. Many of us had speculated that because we were so prepared, it was dry, and had we not been prepared the weather would have been very wet. In the morning, a visit to the Columbia Maritime Museum provided insights to the turbulent seas and maritime history of the Columbia River Bar. The museum features many informative and illustrative exhibits, including a few hands-on exhibits. A short and informative bus ride narrated by our Historian Junius Rochester brought us to Fort Clatsop Historical site. Here we learned about the long (and wet) duration Lewis and Clark spent with the Corps of Discovery in the winter of 1805 until 1806. In addition we spent some time exploring the trails at the park and learning about the temperate rainforest. Western red cedar, Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees were observed, as well as many types of ground plants. A highlight of the walk in the woods was the many types of fungi that naturalist David Cothran pointed out along the trail. According to David, the range of fungi observed spanned from edible to very toxic if ingested. A highlight was the fly agaric ( Amantia muscaria ) one of the most iconic of the toadstool species. Needless to say, no field samples were consumed in any way by our guests. In the afternoon we made a foray to visit Fort Stephens, the site of one of the few attacks on American soil during the Second World War. After this visit we made one final stop, an important visual ending to our journey at the expansive and glorious Clatsop Beach. Here we walked a sand beach, observed the crashing waves and explored the wildlife along the shoreline. Also at this location, we could see the wreckage of a ship named the Peter Iredale, of which the remains are sunk into the sand. This day marks the last of National Geographic Quest ’ s season here on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. We will disembark tomorrow in Portland, Oregon, and the ship will make it is way to Central America where it will spend the winter. It has been a great season: And on behalf of all of the staff, crew and officers aboard National Geographic Quest , we thank you for traveling with us!
