When you explore the Upper Amazon aboard Delfin II, you'll experience spectacular wildlife, top-notch accommodations, and unparalleled expertise from our team of naturalists.
At the headwaters of the mighty Amazon lies the seasonally flooded forest of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. See what it’s like to explore its intricate network of jungle waterways.
On our inaugural photo expedition at the Napo Wildlife Center guests learned expert tips and tricks to capture the diversity of life in the surrounding rainforest.
Ice was today’s theme. Although the air was crisp, we were all smiles as we cruised towards the face of a magnificent tidewater glacier resplendent in dazzling blues. The end point of Endicott Arm, Dawes Glacier is the source of ice for many harbor seal females that are weeks away from the start of their pupping season. Gulls, mountain goats, orange-crowned warblers, and black oystercatchers stood out against towering walls, and Sitka alders painted swaths of green along the ledges where no other trees could gain a foothold. Even on barren rock, life finds a way. Our afternoon kayak operations allowed guests to get up close and personal with the deep character of this fjord. This will undoubtedly be an exploration to remember.
Patches of blue in the sky, reflections of fishing boats in the harbor, and a fragment of a rainbow was the foundation for our day of cultural exploration in Daajing Giids on Haida Gwaii. The Haida Heritage Center, nestled on the shoreline of Alliford Bay, is a testament to the cultural richness and tenacity of the Haida people. In the afternoon, we walked up to, and for some of us, around the lake on the Spirit Lake trail. The rains held off during our walks and we enjoyed our stroll through the temperate rainforest, sans the rain.
And so, it begins! After a blustery arrival in Seattle, our first day northbound to Sitka treated us to a crisp, bluebird day of sailing through the San Juan Islands. Early morning birding delivered us a plethora of rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, and bald eagles as we sailed into Friday Harbor, the ‘quiet capitol’ of San Juan proper. There we explored the famed and wonderful whale museum as an introduction to the charismatic megafauna that awaits us on our journey through these remarkably productive waters. But before there’s an orca, there are its planktonic puzzle pieces, witnessed through the undersea team’s temporary dockside jellyfish exhibition! In the afternoon, some of us tucked into Jones Island for hikes through this Mediterranean of the Pacific Northwest in the rain shadow of the Olympics. Others kayaked around the small harbor or Zodiac cruised around Jones and nearby Yellow Island as the dive team went looking for Seasquatches (yeti crabs) along one of the steep current-swept walls of this magical archipelago. A glorious sunset greeted us after a second delicious dinner, and we slowly made our way to Canada and the gardens of Victoria. No time for further Quest-ions—onward!
Today we explored the central part of Isabela Island, surrounded by active volcanoes. We visited Urbina Bay on the slopes of Alcedo Volcano during the morning and in the afternoon, the beautiful bay of Tagus Cove below Darwin Volcano. They are both very interesting places on the island, marked by the amazing productivity in this part of the ocean, which becomes a very important source of food for the marine life we find here.
We awoke in ice to the east of Edgeoya and continued to push our way south. The ice was less thick here, so we made good progress. During the day we had several presentations by our naturalist staff. Fittingly, the presentation by Certified Photo Instructor Giulia was interrupted by… wildlife! as we encountered a pair of walruses that allowed us a close approach. Later in the day we encountered another bear on the ice, and we had a fun time observing it. Our evening was spent cruising past the beautiful island of Hopen – a special bird nesting area. At the end of the day, we could safely say that we have made it all the way around the island of Spitzbergen! It would seem that we are the earliest ship to have ever done this! A combination of reduced sea ice conditions and skilled navigation by our bridge team have allowed us to do this on the 7th of May.