Expedition Stories

Navigating the South Pacific on the National Geographic Orion

Lindblad Guests and Staff Share Highlights From Their South Pacific Travels

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.

Island Hopping in French Polynesia

Undersea Specialist Maya Santangelo Talks Exploring the Ocean

Ship to Table: Triple Chocolate Semifreddo Recipe

How Travelers are Helping Scientists Study Manta Rays in French Polynesia

What it's Like to Swim with Sharks Around the World

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.

My Wild Polynesia: Exploring Remote & Storied Islands

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".

The Indelible Mark of the Marquesas Islands

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.

A History That Spans the Vast Pacific

For more than a millennium before the era of European discovery, Polynesians occupied the Pacific’s remotest islands.

Wild Personalities: Giant Manta Ray

Get to know the smartest fish in the sea

Spotting Manta Rays

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.