From walking among incredible UNESCO-recognized landmarks and locations to encountering local traditions, cuisine, and architecture, we've rounded up 11 unique experiences for history and culture lovers.
From Antarctica to New Zealand, our expeditions take you to far-flung destinations where you can see a plethora of penguins up close and alongside expert naturalists eager to illuminate every behavior.
Not all paddleboards are created equal! When it came to choosing a paddleboard supplier for Lindblad Expeditions' fleet, Glide SUP definitely stood out above the rest. Find out why this is the most sustainable and innovative board in the industry.
Author, travel writer for National Geographic and other publications, TV host and frequent Global Perspectives Guest Speaker aboard the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet, Andrew Evans is an authority on “epic.” He is the perfect person to ponder the outsize merits of longer journeys—and the breathtaking surprises that can only be found in the deep unknown.
Did you know that the majority of life on Earth is aquatic? It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that our oceans cover more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface. But, for many of us, life underwater is mysterious and unchartered territory. From long-living species to maintaining a healthy ecosystem, ocean inhabitants are often responsible for maintaining keeping our planet running. Below are some fun facts to celebrate life under the sea.
Due to the pandemic, there were a quarter of a million cruise line crew stranded—at or on ships that had suspended operations. Travel restriction and new regulation has made repatriation challenging. Find out how we moved mountains (and ships, and buses, and planes!) to safely repatriate 103 crew members who were still aboard two of our ships in Norwegian & Danish waters.
For more than 50 years, Lindblad Expeditions has been committed to sustainability. Find out about Lindblad’s commitment to protecting the planet – being 100% carbon neutral, eliminating single-use plastic, serving sustainable seafood – and more.
The third day of our voyage brought us to Wallace Island, a small provincial marine park in British Columbia nestled between Victoria and Vancouver. The Island offers excellent hikes, as well as Zodiac cruises and an opportunity for our undersea specialists to explore an underwater shipwreck. Guests looking to get their heart rates up enjoyed the aerobic hike that covers the entire length of the island. For the more casual hikers, the island has some interesting remnants of the small resort that occupied Wallace Island in the 1950s. After the morning activities wrapped up, National Geographic Quest weighed anchor to slip through Seymor Narrows, a narrow gap in the archipelago that allows guests to see the impressive ship handling skills required to navigate in the Pacific Northwest. A more relaxed afternoon allowed ample time for whale watching and birding on the bow, as well as relaxing on the sundeck and attending the presentation of National Geographic expert and artist, Antonio Segura, who joined the voyage as an ambassador for art conservation.
Today we explored the island of Santiago. In the morning, we visited Buccaneer Cove by kayak, Zodiac, and even glass bottom boat. In the afternoon, we visited Puerto Egas where we had our last afternoon excursion of this expedition in the Galapagos Islands. The landscape today was full of wildlife and amazing geological formations that offered great opportunities for photography, conversations, and good memories with our dear guests.
We took a good look at a few giant tortoises in Urbina Bay, Isabela Island, but we all wanted a bit more giant tortoise information. These gentle giants are one of the most charismatic of the Galapagos characters. Where to start? At the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center managed by the Galapagos National Park Directorate in Puerto Ayora. Here, we saw them in all shapes and sizes, from babies a few months old to venerable reptiles older than all of us! Lindblad Expeditions supports local initiatives aimed at potentially diminishing the introduction of new invasive species. Granja Integral Ochoa is a place that provides this beneficial support. The hydroponic system is highly efficient and generates fresh vegetables without having to import them from mainland Ecuador. And the quality is so high we serve them to our guests and crew on an almost daily basis. Plus, the Ochoa family makes you feel at home with their warmth, freshly brewed coffee, and scrumptious empanadas. The day wasn’t over yet. Next, we went to Manzanillo Ranch for a meal and more interactions with Santa Cruz giant tortoises. Lunch was fabulous and the tortoises plentiful. It was another wonderful day in paradise!
Today’s wind and rain painted the sea surface a dark gray, a gray that followed us throughout the day and provided a gorgeous backdrop for the verdant greens that characterize Southeast Alaska. After a presentation on humpback whales from our National Geographic explorer, Lauren Eckert, we tucked into the protected Tenakee Bay and explored the shoreline by foot. Our hikes revealed fresh bear scat, a brown bear claw, blooming skunk cabbage, emerging earth worms, a mosaic of lichens, frolicking ravens, bounding deer, a pair of adult bald eagles, and a rare Northern goshawk. Bushwhacking was the name of the game, and arguably the best way to collect stories in this unique bay. We swapped these tales as we cruised Chatham Strait, where the rain continued, and the dark gray closed out a memorable day.
By the end of our Svalbard circumnavigation (yes, we made it!), there was no denying that the weather gods smiled upon us. We relished six full days of clear skies, sunshine, gentle breezes, and superb visibility over the pack ice at 80 degrees north of latitude—a truly rare treat. Upon departing Hornsund and journeying south, however, we encountered the predicted strong winds and rough seas, which added an extra dash of excitement to our journey. This was the scenario at our arrival at Bjørnøya (Bear Island), the southernmost island of the Svalbard Archipelago and renowned for hosting one of the largest bird cliffs in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the conditions, the bridge team skillfully brought us close enough to shore to enjoy a scenic ship cruise along its dramatic coastline. Throughout, naturalists and guests gathered on the bridge or other observation areas, endeavoring to identify all the bird species we had learned about during the previous week. Some enthusiasts even dared to brave the wind and spray, striving to capture the perfect photos or simply to experience the raw power of nature in the Barents Sea. A well-deserved warm lunch was waiting for them afterward.