Expedition Stories

Our fleet navigates the world in search of adventure. These are the stories they bring back…

Previous Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

5/3/2008

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the National Geographic Endeavour in Morocco

Fes, Morocco Today, our expedition took us to the colorful, historic Moroccan city of Fes. After an early breakfast at our hotel in Rabat, the group hopped on the bus and rode through the hilly countryside, passing by fields of olive trees, vineyards, goat herds, and villages called duoar in Arabic, while the tinted Atlas Mountains loomed far to the East. Where the city of Rabat is known as the administrative and governmental focus of Morrocco, Fes represents the agricultural, spiritual, and cultural center. Purple Jacaranda trees greeted us along the roads as we rolled into this old city, dating back exactly 12 centuries to its Islamic founding in 808 A.D. Passing the most modern section developed by the French in the early 20th century, we briefly stopped at the gates of a royal palace in the second, “new” section of Fes, known as Fes El Jedid, where Jews and Arabs had settled after escaping the Inquisition of Spain in the 13th and 14th centuries. At last, we stopped in the old town, Fes El Bali, and here we began our adventurous walk through the labyrinthine Quarawinn quarter of the Fes Medina. Following our nimble guides, we navigated the colorful streets, passages, corridors, tunnels, throughways, and narrow ways of Fes, exploring all directions of the town! Left, right, up, down, over, under, through and between. In again, out again, onward again and forward again, we visited pottery craftsmen, tanners, embroiderers, carpet weavers, makers of jelabas and caftan garments, and other vendors selling their various wares. An interesting mélange of spices, fresh produce, smoke, tanned hides, perfumes and various animals treated our senses, and the quick holler of “ Balak !” told us to quickly move aside as a cart or donkey rushed by. We met for lunch in the ornately tiled and pillared hall of the Palais M’nabhi, where we enjoyed the charming entertainment of a talented, smiling belly dancer. The weather was lovely, the colors fantastic, and the ornate woodwork, tile work, and craftsmanship of Fes kept our senses (and our wallets!) entertained all the way to the end of the maze, where we hopped on to the buses and rode back to a well deserved dinner in Rabat.

Daily Expedition Reports

5/20/2008

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National Geographic Sea Lion

From the National Geographic Sea Lion in Alaska

Glacier Bay National Park Today was an incredible day to be sailing the waters of Glacier Bay National Park! We awoke to an early morning view of the Fairweather Range, including Mt. Fairweather, itself. Our Glacier Bay Ranger, Jenn Schramm, boarded and chatted with the large number of early morning risers as we began our trek northward. Our first stop at South Marble Island was a highlight of the morning. We observed colorful tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, pelagic cormorants, and chatty black-legged kittiwakes circling the ship and the island. As we continued our slow journey past, we encountered huge, raucous Steller’s sea lions lounging on the rocks above the intertidal zone. From this spot, our exploration took us closer to the coastline, in search of potential land mammals and scenic vistas. Throughout the day, the Fairweather Mountain Range became our backdrop, and we each took hundreds of photos of the majestic mountain views! We found an elusive bear in the brush, but most of us were only able to capture a fleeting glimpse. Shortly thereafter, we spotted a perfect view of a mountain goat, perched on a grassy knoll above the ship. First Mate, Rick, positioned the National Geographic Sea Lion right under the face of the cliff so that we could all take a closer look. After focusing our binoculars, we realized that the mother goat had a brand new kid tucked away in her shadow. The new kid stood up on the steep slope, wobbled for a moment, and then nuzzled its mother’s side. After watching the backside of a foraging brown bear and many more mountain goat sightings, we proceeded north toward Tarr Inlet. Our destination was the intersection of two large glaciers, Grand Pacific and Margerie. Our second mate, Miranda, maneuvered our small ship into position and we were treated to a view of the entire face of Margerie Glacier. With the mountains looming in the background, we watched the incredible river of ice crash and boom into the sea! Thinking that we could not possibly have added anything to our day, we began the long trek down-bay toward Bartlett Cove. Shortly thereafter, the call came in from Captain Sinclair that we had a bear on the beach. Everyone rushed outside (those who weren’t already out, enjoying the warm, balmy afternoon!) and watched a huge Coastal brown bear lumber along. We could clearly see the bear’s characteristic hump as it walked alongside a snow bank. Eventually, with a prior course set in mind, the bear made its way up into the snow, clambering higher and higher. Eventually arriving in Bartlett Cove, we disembarked to take a short walk along the forest trail. The sky gave off a beautiful evening light and we witnessed a faint alpenglow before the sun dropped below the Fairweather Range.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/11/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer in South Africa

Mossel Bay, South Africa Early this morning as the fog lifted we could see the beautiful outlines of Mosselbaai. The ship gently took us alongside and here were our favorite drivers and guides waiting for us again, as they have been doing all along from the beginning of our journey. They took us for a short ride to the museum complex where in beautifully kept gardens we could at last see the famous post office tree where early European explorers used to put a message in a shoe, tied to a branch, for the next incoming ship. It was a beautiful old milkwood tree. Close by was the shell museum with its incredible collection and also featuring a few aquariums with amazing fishes like lionfish, clownfish, sea horses, a lot of anemones, and even a rock lobster eating a mussel right in front of us! Then we went to the Maritime Museum and had a close look at the replica ship Bartholomeu Dias that had been built in Spain and sailed all the way to Mossel Bay to retrace the route of the first Portuguese vessel to round the Cape of Good Hope. A lot of old marine objects and ancient maps were displayed as well as the history of the encounters between these first mariners and the local people. As we could see from our walk along the shore a little while later, the Koi and San had been living here and had been using the local resources that are plentiful. On our walk at Cape St Blaize we noticed three fishing traps, pools from rocks piled up to make walls to hold the retreating tide and thus trap fish. Further up on the beautiful sandstone cliffs were some “Dassies” or Rock Hyrax enjoying the sunshine and also a big cave or rock shelter that the hunter-gatherers used to protect themselves. Moving up along the path bordered by little flowers, we had some beautiful coastal views of the rough waters at the base of those amazing orange cliffs, flown over by kelp gulls with a rare sighting of a peregrine falcon trying to catch one of the plentiful doves nesting nearby. Unfortunately it was time to head back to the ship and to say our last goodbyes to our loyal drivers and guides who now had to drive the 300 miles back to Cape Town.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/14/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer in South Africa

Lake St. Lucia & Hluhluwe-Mfolosi Reserve, South Africa Charismatic megafauna is what many of us equate with the reserves of Africa, and today we returned to the two very different ecosystems that we visited yesterday for an encore performance of wildlife. Many of these species rely on large tracts of protected land, and the two reserves we visited are large in size and filled with wonderful wildlife. Lake St. Lucia is a massive estuary that some of us visited in small boats. Large numbers of hippos and Nile crocs were observed. To be able to drift by within a few feet of these monstrous creatures was certainly rewarding. Bird life was also prominent, from the weaver’s nests lining the shoreline up to the majestic African Fish Eagle, a wide gamut of species was observed. Ducks and egrets lined the shore, and a few storks and kingfishers added to the diversity. Game drives are the classic way to explore the megafauna of Africa and many of us returned to the reserve of Hluhluwe-Mfolosi for another round. Every vehicle had a different experience, but it was hard not to be overwhelmed by the diversity and abundance of mammals, birds, and vegetation. Many species will only survive with appropriate habitat, and only with certain amounts of it. Many of the species we were “wowed” by, elephants, giraffes, and zebras, rely on large tracts of good habitat for their survival. Another example of this is with predators, and a few vehicles were lucky enough to witness a pack of wild dogs. These top predators were observed killing a nyala, and some people had the experience of a lifetime. No matter which way one explored the large reserves today, it was hard not to come away in awe of the wildlife they hold.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/16/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer

Punta da Barra & Inhambane, Mozambique We arrived off of Punta da Barra early morning to find a magnificent stretch of beach but with choppy and windy conditions. Once the scout party had assessed the zodiac landing conditions and met with Punta Barra lodge staff, zodiacs shuttled the early morning walkers to shore. It was a very exciting ride and zodiac landing in the surf right in front of the Punta Barra Lodge. The walkers and birders headed off along the edge of the Mangrove swamp and then turned down and continued walking onto the fine white sandy beach which stretches approximately 6 km. It was not long before we came across an awesome sight and saw the local fisherman hard at work throwing out their fishing nets and hauling them in, all from hand crafted dhows. What a magnificent site to see the fisherman filling their nets, the cloud formations and lighting making excellent photographic opportunities. Those who took the town tour to Inhambane loaded into an assortment of buses and mini vans along with our charming local guides. We were heading for the town of Inhambane, founded by Swahili traders. Inhambane was also the southernmost port used by Arabs for slave trading. The bus ride on an ‘interesting’ road with a couple of pot holes, after fairly heavy rains the night prior, was very scenic past colorful villages and coconut plantations as well as assortment of fruit trees and stunning bougainvilleas in full bloom. Once in the town of Inhambane (one of the oldest settlements in Mozambique) we had a little time to explore the local market; some bought very tasty cashews nuts while others photographed the local traders at work. We drove on to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Conception as well as the small architectural museum and quaint local boat harbor. We made it back to Barra Lodge and had a nice cold beverage at the beach bar before heading back across the beach sand to board a zodiac back to the National Geographic Explorer in time for lunch. Some of us decided to just relax, take a long walk on the Punta Barra beach or take a plunge into the clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Others relaxed on lounge chairs around the Punta Barra swimming pool and/or did a little shopping at the local arts and crafts market at the lodge. The Scuba divers also had a good dive and got to see a superb assortment of fish, octopus, lobster, and rays. A fabulous day was had by all and in particular we enjoyed the very warm welcome from the Mozambique locals on shore.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/18/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer in Mozambique

Ilha de Moçambique, Mozambique Mozambique Island was a major Arab port and boat building centre long before Vasco da Gama visited in 1498. The Portuguese established a port and naval base as early as 1507, and built the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, in 1522, now considered the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere. The island also became an important missionary centre and is now a World Heritage Site. Other notable buildings on the island include the Palace and Chapel of São Paulo, built in 1610, now a museum, and the Museum of Sacred Art. For us, this was a true expedition stop. Nearly everyone on board had never been here, and most were awed by the gorgeous architecture and the friendliness of the local people. We were welcomed ashore by a brightly attired group of women, who performed a beautifully rhythmic dance that was a great introduction to the people of the island. From here, we split into smaller groups and were led around by our local “guides,” who were friendly local folks with some English speaking ability. We definitely were of interest to the locals as a large mass seemed to gather to watch these interesting creatures that had come to visit their small island. Many of the traditional sailing vessels, or dhows, swarmed our ship to attempt some modern trading, continuing a long history that made this an essential trading stop on the west coast of Africa. It was easy to see the importance of this place and why it was chosen. The Arabs settled it in the 8th century, and it has a long history of inhabitation by many different cultures. The fort was in a perfect location for the protection of the harbour, which was calm and easily approached with a deep channel. With a bit of imagination, it was very easy to visualize the hundreds of years of traders that passed through this wonderful place. In the afternoon, we set off to the northeast and spent the afternoon at sea in transition on our way to the Comoros. Leaving the coast of Africa behind allowed for time to reflect on how much we have experienced so far on this epic journey. To view video footage from today's expedition cruise, please  click here .  

Daily Expedition Reports

5/4/2008

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National Geographic Endeavour

From the National Geographic Endeavour in Morocco

Meknes, Morocco Our last day on land in Morocco was spent exploring the ancient city of Meknes, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our local guide led as through the winding, dusty streets to the ancient granary and stables, built in the 14th century, and still in remarkably good state of preservation. From there we were given a tour of the quiet and hushed interior of a highly ornate and intricately decorated tomb in the old part of the city. We rejoined the coach in the heart of the present day hustle and bustle of Meknes where camels stood beside parked Mercedes and women in traditional birkas stood chatting on cell-phones. East meets West, and ancient meets modern in Meknes. A short drive took us to the ruined Roman city of Volubilis. In its heyday an estimated 15,000-20,000 people lived in comparative luxury in this sprawling 2,000 year old ruined complex. Although only one third of the city has been excavated and exposed it is enough to give a sense of the size, complexity and sophistication of this far-flung settlement of the ancient Roman Empire. Following lunch we made the drive from Meknes to Casablanca where the National Geographic Endeavour was waiting in the enormous dock complex of Morocco's largest city. After the mandatory lifeboat and safety briefings we were introduced to the hotel staff by Hotel Manager Willie, enjoyed our first meal aboard and retired early following our lengthy last day in Morocco and in anticipation of our first day tomorrow in Portugal.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/10/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer in South Africa

Hermanus & Cape Agulhas, South Africa It was not until 10pm last night that we finally set sail from Cape Town. It had been an epic changeover: on the 8th, with the ship due to berth, the harbour was closed with a dangerous, gusting south-easter whipping the bay into whitecaps. There was no escaping it: the ship could not dock as planned. Out beyond the breakwater she rode out gusts of hurricane strength, well over 60 knots. Those on board waited and watched the mountain “tablecloth” pouring its dramatic cloud down off the summit like a steaming cauldron. Those in town were blown off their feet at times, thwarted from riding to the peak. On the night of the 8th, the wind dropped, the ship sneaked in, and the 9th dawned calm and still, allowing those on board to make their flights home, and the rest of us a perfect day to take the cable car up Table Mountain. We walked the tabletop rock pathways, past rock hyrax on precarious crags, and marvelled at the panorama from the sheer sandstone cliffs, 3,000’ above the bay. Along the cliff rim, alpine swifts rushed past like daredevil jets, feeding on the insect-laden updrafts. At dawn this morning we sailed into Hermanus, a former fishing village now famous for the right whales which come here in the southern winter to calve. At first light the mad and the brave went off by Zodiac to try and swim with great white sharks. The rest of us took a coach out to Fernkloof, an internationally famous nature reserve in the hills behind the town. The vigorous trekked to a high rock bluff overlooking the bay, the moderate took a lower path to marvel at the plants and birds unique to this corner of Africa, and the sensible relaxed in the shade, serenaded by white-eyes, bou-bou shrikes and Cape weaver-birds. The vegetation here is of a type unknown in any other corner of the world. Although taxed by arid sandy soils and baked in summer heat, the Cape Floral Kingdom boasts a unique botanical bonanza called Fynbos. Here the huge showy blossoms of Protea flourish, the national flower of South Africa, pollinated by the exotic, long-tailed Sugarbird. It was our special treat to see them at close quarters, both plant and bird isolated for millions of years, survivors from a Gondwanan garden of Eden. On our return to the jetty we were relieved to see our shaken shipmates safely back from their shark adventure; they had seen their shark, as we could tell by the wide eyes and eager accounts. We could see why the great white thrives here as we sailed further east, for all afternoon we saw floating, surfacing and porpoising southern fur seals, their favoured prey. We also saw Bryde’s whale, a smaller blue shark, and hundreds of cormorants and diving terns, all testament to the rich fish stocks here where cold Antarctic waters meet the warm current from East Africa. And this evening our adventure started in earnest, for we passed Cape Agulhas, southern tip of Africa, and gateway to the Indian Ocean.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/13/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer in South Africa

Richards Bay, South Africa By mid-morning, we had reached Richards Bay in the northeastern region of South Africa and we dedicated the rest of the day to enjoying the fabulous natural history of the Dark Continent. Most of us headed off to the Hluhluwe (pronounced sloosh' lewy ) National Park for a full afternoon of game drives. This is the oldest national park in the country and it contains a remarkable array of African species, including the Big Five (elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhinoceros). It is greatly appreciated that places like this still exist in the world, for the reason that here in Africa one can view remnants of the great megafauna that was found throughout the world up until about 12,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. Once in the national park, we explored a hilly, semi-open savannah habitat, which was very green and lush because of recent rains, although the guides explained that the region has suffered drought conditions for the past six years. Our guests encountered many different things with the various safari vehicles during the day, and overall we sighted an impressive number of different floral and faunal species, including four of the Big Five (that is, all but the leopard). Hluhluwe National Park is world-famous for its rhinoceroses, and the park personnel here are credited with having saved the white rhino from extinction. From just a couple dozen individuals a few decades ago, the population has increased to more than 3,000 today (including about 1,400 that live here in Hluhluwe). Most of us had a wonderful encounter with a group of white rhinos near a waterhole in the northern section of the park and we were especially impressed by one large male that had a horn measuring about four feet in length (see image above). A couple of young male rhinos became somewhat boisterous while my vehicle happened to be there and we witnessed a show of real power as the behemoths pushed each other around, kicking up dust and shaking the ground in the process. In the meantime, the rest of us went to the town of St. Lucia, where we joined a couple boats for an excursion on the St. Lucia River into the Simangaliso Wetland Park (a UNESCO Site). This river forms the largest estuarine environment in all of Africa and is amazingly rich in life. This river and lake system is an important feeding area for countless water birds and shore birds and we soon learned that it also contains the largest concentration of Nile crocodiles in Africa. This fact wasn’t surprising once we were out on the water, because we saw many crocodiles, of all ages and sizes, during the entire cruise. However, the most impressive wildlife of the river is surely the huge population of hippopotamuses. We encountered groups of them scattered throughout the river happily lazing about in the safety of the water waiting for nightfall before going ashore to feed on the rich grasses on both sides of the river. We all agreed that there can be few things as cute as newborn hippos, as there were several of the tiny creatures bobbing about with their mothers (see image above). At the same time, we shouldn’t neglect mentioning that our bird watchers accumulated some pretty exciting species sightings, including many of the large and colorful African water birds.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/15/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer in Mozambique

Maputo, Mozambique I’d like to spend some time in Mozambique, The sunny sky is aqua blue… - Bob Dylan When Bob Dylan wrote about fun in the sun in Mozambique back in the seventies, he was being sarcastic, commenting on the contrast between the luxurious life of Portuguese colonial regime and the poverty of the native people of the country. Since then Mozambique has been wracked by a terrible civil war, but today it is emerging as a peaceful democracy. Landing in the capital of Maputo this morning, we found ourselves welcomed with sunny smiles by everyone we met under the aqua blue skies. Our visit to Maputo reflected the city’s history as an important center of Portuguese rule, its survival of the war and its recent development. 19th Century European architecture dominated much of the city center, including a striking central train station with a tower designed by the French engineer, Gustave Eiffel. Not far away was Eiffel’s other contribution to Maputo, the Casa do Ferro or Iron House. It was intended as the residence of the Portuguese governor, but its all-metal plate construction made it quite uninhabitable in Mozambique’s tropical climate until the advent of modern air conditioning. Sprinkled among these colonial monuments were numbers of new skyscrapers, many of them financed with development aid from China. The city was full of vibrant clatter, color and commerce. We passed a long wall decorated with beautiful mosaic murals in tribute to Mozambique’s first president, Samora Machel, were accosted by enthusiastic vendors of sweet cashews and skillfully carved hippopotami, and ducked out of a brief thunderstorm into the central market where we admired stacks of bright produce and pungent spices. We were honored to be so welcomed by the friendly and resilient people of Maputo and we wish them well as their country continues to develop. Judging by our experience of their capital, the future of Mozambique looks as bright as the sunny skies above.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/17/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer

At Sea Today was the quintessential day at sea…mostly blue sky with puffy clouds, lots of sunshine, light breeze, smooth seas, and interesting marine life. These waters in the Mozambique Channel have been plied by Arab traders for more than 12 centuries. We were off the Swahili Coast headed for the ancient capital of Mozambique, but the far distance gave us the luxury of this relaxing day at sea. We could imagine the Arab dhows sailing south with the trade winds during the wet, warm Summer season (which is now) and then waiting around for a few months before taking off on their return trips laden with African goods with the reversed winds. We also thought about the early Portuguese who came on the scene in the 16th century and established themselves in this area, and then quickly took control of the valuable trade routes from here all the way to the Orient. Several splashy eruptions at the surface attracted our attention as small schooling fish (probably anchovies) were being ravaged by larger, fast-moving predatory fish such as bonito or jacks (we couldn’t see them well enough for accurate identification). As the ship diverted course for closer looks, we discovered we weren’t the only ones attracted by these feeding frenzies, because flocks of sooty terns swooped in whenever the prey fish started jumping at the surface. The poor anchovies were trapped at the surface boundary by predators coming at them from both above and below (see photo on left, above). In the afternoon, an announcement was made about a sighting of large dolphin-like creatures jumping and splashing far ahead of the ship. As the ship got closer, we identified them as melonhead whales…small, dark, dolphin-sized cetaceans related to killer whales and pilot whales. They seemed on a mission and were not interested in the ship (see photo on right, above). However, an hour later we encountered a mixed group of dolphins, consisting of both spotted dolphins and spinner dolphins, that were more interested in the ship. Oceanic dolphins often exhibit a remarkable playfulness and we were thrilled to watch some of the spinner dolphins do what they do best, that is…spin. The leapers went high into the air with an impressive twisting motion of their bodies before reentering the water with a nice splash. Most did simple twists, but a few managed real spins in the air, bringing oohs and aahs from those of us on deck. Unfortunately, they were very difficult to photograph.

Daily Expedition Reports

3/18/2009

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National Geographic Explorer

From the National Geographic Explorer in Africa

When available, we complement our Daily Expedition Reports with short videos from the field. Video Expedition Reports are subject to weather conditions and satellite availability. Click the play button above to see a short clip from today's expedition in Mozambique, Africa. To read more about today's expedition, please click here .

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