Beginning in 2025, the National Geographic Orion will return to the ancient Mediterranean. Here's 5 reasons to explore this storied region in premier comfort.
Jessica Gee of The Bucket List Family shares what it’s like to travel the world with her husband and three children and how to find “joy in the journey.”
It was a great day. Isabela is one of the jewels of the Galapagos. It has so many things to see and today was no exception. In the morning we landed at Urbina Bay where we had our first encounters with the giants of the Galapagos Islands, the giant tortoises. These incredible reptiles were walking on the very same path we were on, and we saw them up close. After our hike, we enjoyed some leisure time at the beach. In the afternoon, we went snorkeling and swam with Galapagos penguins and so many turtles. On our return, it was funny to find a Galapagos sea lion lying on one of our Zodiacs.
Every day in Mexico’s Gulf of California is great, but today was especially special. It started with a green flash and a magnificent sunrise at Punta Colorada (located on the eastern side of San José Island) with its colorful sandstone cliffs catching the early morning light. Hikers explored the arroyo in the morning, and snorkelers admired the healthy coral reefs, home to great schools of blue and gold snappers, Mexican goatfish, and many more. But it was a lucky encounter with killer whales that really made our day, and everyone admired the oceans’ top predators from their Zodiacs. What a special treat! Afterwards, we made the first Lindblad visit to a recently formed, new feeding colony of Guadalupe fur seals at Las Ánimas Island, rounding up an amazing day exploring the beautiful Sea of Cortez.
We woke up as we were threading through the atoll surrounding Taha’a and Ra’iatea and then we started our day with a visit to a vanilla plantation. Taha’a is famous for the vanilla it produces. Next, we got to snorkel in the beautiful blue water off a private motu (island formed from built up coral debris). After a lovely lunch, we went to a sacred complex called Marae Taputapuatea. This area is recognized by UNESCO for its important cultural heritage. This place is considered one of the central starting points for Polynesian explorers and has much religious significance. After the cultural excursion, we went off on a hike and went birding. Upon returning to the ship, we had cocktail hour and a lovely dinner. To top it off, the crew put on a fantastic show for us after our meal.
Today, aboard National Geographic Endurance, we explored Franklin Bay on Isla de los Estados, Argentina. The jagged coastline mesmerized us with its rugged layers of sedimentary beauty. We encountered diverse wildlife, from rockhopper penguins to majestic seabirds like black-browed albatross and giant petrels. Today’s expedition unveiled the untamed allure of this remote corner of the world where no other expedition company takes people, meanwhile etching memories to last a lifetime.
This morning we awoke to wonderful views of our morning destination, Isla Carmen. We headed to shore to explore the array of offerings of Bahia Ballandra. As we meandered some trails in the intertidal, we found our way to a beautiful arroya trail full of palo verdes, palo blancos, and other flowering plants of the desert. After we hiked, we went to the water to explore, some via Zodiac cruise and others who braved the chilly Pacific waters to snorkel on a rocky reef. In the afternoon we cruised along, appreciating the stunning geology of Isla Carmen while watching for wildlife from the bow.