Our South Pacific trips are packed with thrilling experiences—some carefully planned; others, discovered. Below are just some of our favorites as described by guests and staff.
Close-up shark encounters in their natural habitat is a thrill that relatively few people experience and even fewer forget. Here's where and how to see them.
I was lucky to meet Lars-Eric Lindblad back in 1977; he immediately hired me to be a naturalist, lecturer, boat handler, and guide aboard his famous ship Lindblad Explorer, otherwise known as the “Little Red Ship.” This was the original Expedition Passenger Vessel, a designation made up by the U. S. Coast Guard by necessity in order to categorize this exceptional ship. Lindblad has been in the business of conducting expeditions, ever since. And now, under Sven Lindblad’s guidance, a fleet of 13 ships has replaced the original "Little Red Ship".
Tattoos are so ubiquitous around the world these days, it’s easy to barely even notice them at all. But there’s one place where the tattoos are so distinctive and artful they stand out from the inking seen anywhere else. That place is the remote and rugged Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.
The Marquesas Islands are one of the few places where divers and snorkelers can see both the oceanic and reef species of manta rays. Their unique spot patterns can serve as data points to track the manta ray populations in this region.
Our first day aboard National Geographic Sea Bird was a warm and picturesque autumn morning. The first half of our day was spent cruising through Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, where jet boats brought us up close and personal to magnificent pillars of basalt and epic petroglyphs. Following a lunch stop in the canyon, we rejoined National Geographic Sea Bird in Clarkston, Washington. There we were treated to two guest speakers, JR Spencer of the Nez Perce Tribe and Coco Umiker, PhD., a renowned winemaker. Both delighted with witty anecdotes, unique local perspectives, and (of course) delicious wine.
Our first full day in the Galapagos and we started with a visit to Española Island at the southeastern side of the archipelago. Our first visitor site, Gardner Bay, has a mile-long sandy beach with turquoise water where we went snorkeling. We also enjoyed various wildlife, including mockingbirds and Galapagos sea lions. Soon after, we were all back onboard having lunch and repositioning to Punta Suarez. Once we arrived, we went for a walk searching for the famous waved albatross. We also had an opportunity to take a more leisurely stroll to admire the baby sea lions, turtles, and more. This was our first day exposed to amazing wildlife that is free from fear of encounters with humans, allowing us to appreciate them up close in their natural habitat.
We dropped anchor deep into one of the fingers of Bonavista Bay to explore Terra Nova National Park, Canada’s most eastern parks, whose name is derived from the Latin for Newfoundland. The highly popular park abounds with forested hills, bogs, ponds, and wetlands all inhabited by a plethora of small and large mammals, migratory birds, and of course, plants. Remains of the ancient Appalachian Mountains provide a textbook of geological features, and the accessible seashore offers much for intertidal enthusiasts. In overcast and cool weather, we had the usual offerings of hikes: a casual loop emphasizing plant interpretation, an intermediate hike along the shore and forest, and a strenuous hike through the forest and over innumerable roots designed to challenge foot dexterity and agility. We returned to National Geographic Explorer for lunch, then back to the park for independent exploration and to hear a spirited performance by Rum Ragged, an award-winning Canadian folk music group from Newfoundland and Labrador. The quartet’s use of bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran, banjo, guitar, button accordion, combined with striking harmonies and storytelling, created a truly unique auditory and visual experience. The evening (and voyage) concluded with the traditional captain’s dinner and guest slideshow. Future National Geographic photographers, perhaps?
Our full day in the famous city of Siracusa, Sicily began with a tour of the city’s archaeological park where we saw evidence of the city’s Greek, then Roman, past. We strolled along the Roman-era amphitheater through the city’s infamous quarries and finished our visit at the Greek theater, renovated during the time of Archimedes in the 3rd century BC. A few of our group opted to stay in town for lunch while most of us returned to Sea Cloud for a lovely meal on the lido deck. After a brief siesta, we returned for a walking tour of the historic island of Ortygia, starting at the Temple of Apollo, dating to the 6th century BC. We wound our way through picturesque alleys, eventually arriving at the Duomo of Siracusa, a fascinating structure that incorporates Archaic-era Doric columns, a Byzantine church, and a showy Baroque façade. We then explored the town on our own, with most returning to the ship for a wonderful buffet dinner featuring local cheeses and olives alongside delicious yellowfin tuna.
Early in the morning our National Geographic Islander II guests disembarked on the small island of Bartolome. We hiked 380 stairs to the top to appreciate the amazing view, especially that of the iconic Pinnacle Rock, a distinctive rock formation which is one of the symbols of the Galapagos Islands. Back on board, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast and got ready for our next adventure, snorkeling along the coast of this tiny island. Today was especially wonderful as we had the chance to snorkel with the tiny and playful Galapagos penguin. Not only one, but ten of them together, swimming fast among our guests. The afternoon was warm as we strolled along our second trail of the day on Santa Cruz Island. Cerro Dragon is a notable landmark on Santa Cruz Island, as it is the home of an impressive population of Galapagos land iguanas. We were lucky enough to find seven big iguanas resting just beside the trail, giving our guests a great opportunity for awesome pictures.