In this short video, Unplastify co-founder Agustina Besada shares more about her ongoing mission to inspire teens to “unplastify” their lives and their local communities.
This week's photos from the field included spectacular images of lava flows on La Cumbre, an active volcano on Fernandina Island in the Galápagos Islands.
Guests aboard National Geographic Venture witnessed a rocket launch, while National Geographic Explorer explored South Africa and National Geographic Sea Bird cruised the Columbia River.
Another stunning morning awaited us on our travels along the Norwegian coast. We visited the Vega Archipelago, which is a group of islands in Nordland county, just south of the Arctic Circle. Under the blue skies of a pleasant spring day, we explored the island on different hikes. We were all invited to visit the Vega World Heritage Centre on the small island of Gardsøya, just off the main island of Vega. Here, we learned about the natural history of the archipelago as well as the centuries old tradition of eider down collection. Before we left, we were served delicious Norwegian waffles with jam, sour cream, and the famous Norwegian brown cheese. We were invited back onboard National Geographci Resolution for a barbeque lunch, which many of us enjoyed outside on deck 8, appreciating the sunshine and the view overlooking the many islands and the mountain range of the Norwegian mainland. During the afternoon and evening, we continued our sail northwards. Two presentations awaited us, one given by National Geographic Photographer Tommy Heinrich, the other by Underwater Specialist/ Diver Gail Ashton who talked about the kelp forests of Norway. We listened while we sailed through the picturesque scenery of the fjords of Western Norway, enjoying stunning views and great weather.
We continued our exploration of the Smøla Island fishing villages and windmill farms, enjoying waffles, the scenery, and wildlife, including the nesting sights of the oystercatcher. We had a full afternoon, starting with a presentation by Photo Instructor Jeff Litton on smarthphone photography. Guests learned all about the tricks to improve their creativity and framing skills! Continuing in the ice lounge, guests were invited to join a geological talk with Caroline Sanchez called “Fjords of Norway: Unravelling the Ancient Geological History to Recent Deglaciation”. This was followed by the daily recap. After another delicious dinner, another presentation was offered by Kerstin Langerberger about the farming of eider. She explained the details behind the art of managing a farm with wild ducks.
The two key subjects of the island of Elba are iron ore and Napoleon Bonaparte. Elba has 70% of the region’s known minerals in its belly and for centuries its iron mines have contributed to writing the history of the Mediterranean. From the Etruscans to the Romans to present day Italians. But nothing has made this island more famous than the forced exile of Napoleon Bonaparte. Everything here is reminiscent of Napoleon's stay. From the palace to his favorite water source. From the chair where he sat upon his arrival, to the flag personally created by the French Emperor to give official status to the territory of the island of which he became temporary governor. Even the legendary gossip regarding Napoleon's undisputed charm over the women of Elba, and his rumored 17 illegitimate children. Portoferraio, which is the capital of the island, is calm and sleepy when we arrived. We enjoyed every corner of it as we followed the guide while touring. And after three hours of immersion in the past (with the inevitable shopping in the present) we toasted three times to Bonaparte in the best way, by sipping local wines, a white, a rosé, and a red, before setting off to sea again toward other shores.
With a lovely hike at Seymour, our day started. We took an amazing tender ride around the shorelines of the island. In the afternoon, we enjoyed an amazing snorkel at Rabida Island, which has red sand beaches and sediments along the topography of the island.
Overnight, we traveled north on the Lynn Canal and arrived in Haines, Alaska’s adventure capital. For guests on National Geographic Sea Bird , it was a choose your own adventure day. In the morning, guests could hike to Mt Riley, raft down the Chilkat River, or go flyfishing. In the afternoon, options included flyfishing, a guided bike tour, or a hike to Battery Point. In this small town of a little over 2,000 people, guests explored some amazing wildlife and landscapes. After the day’s outdoor activities, we gathered on National Geographic Sea Bird to exchange stories and learn even more from our naturalists.