Lindblad scouts Alizé Carrère and Dagny Ivarsdottir search Iceland for new guest experiences. Here, they take to the sky to find unforgettable hiking routes.
Geologist, NOAA scientist, and NASA astronaut, Dr. Kathryn Sullivan shares stories from her famed career that has taken her from the far reaches of outer space to the bottom of the world’s oceans.
Floreana is one of the four inhabited islands in the Galapagos, and its inhabitants live in harmony with all the unique species that can be found here. We disembarked at Cormorant Point before breakfast as this is the best time of the day to observe and photograph, not only land birds such as finches and warblers, but the flamingos! The brackish water lagoon behind the beach offers the perfect nesting and feeding grounds for this species and it’s easy to find a few of these colorful birds by this lagoon. After an incredible snorkeling session where our guests enjoyed a variety of colorful fish and playful sea lions, our galley team was ready to receive us with another fantastic meal. During the afternoon, we explored the Post Office Bay area by kayak, where plenty of sea turtles can be seen peacefully coming to the surface for air.
It was a quintessentially Southeast Alaskan morning: cool, blue-gray, and shrouded in ethereal mist. The whole ship was eager to explore the town of Wrangell. As we disembarked, we prepared for many different adventures: most took off up the Stikine River, others enjoyed a stroll along a beach renowned for its petroglyphs, and still others were witnesses to a traditional Tlingit ceremony at Chief Shake’s Tribal House. I spent the morning leading a hike up Mt. Dewey, where guests enjoyed their first taste of the temperate rainforest. Bald eagles, banana slugs, and the spring blooms of the understory were among the highlights. Now we are gathered in the lounge to enjoy libations and merriment as we transit through the Wrangell Narrows. Our expert Bridge team will weave through the constricted passageway, aided by decades of experience and the navigational installments of mariners past. Full of local seafood and eager for tomorrow, we will rest well.
We have crossed the Arctic Circle, and the change to the temperate zone brought the first signs of spring. We welcomed the lush sights as we spent the morning kayaking and Zodiac cruising in the stunning fjords below the Svartisen glacier. After a refreshing Norwegian dip, we spent a relaxing afternoon counting waterfalls on our way to Traena. While most of our group went to town, our undersea team braved the Nordic chill to capture footage of the thriving garden under the waves.
Today we continued our voyage west as we spent the day at sea, and this morning we were greeted by a lovely rainbow. We listened to several presentations, including one from our special guest speaker, Valerie Taylor. A pioneer in marine conservation, she talked about her first travels to the Asmat in the 1970’s, where we will be in two days. The amazing hotel staff made sure we were never hungry, and since it was a beautiful day, hosted lunch outside. Sailing west into the sunset, we ended this great day voyaging through this immense ocean, just as so many others have done before us.
Today, we spent the day onboard National Geographic Quest sailing up the majestic waterways of British Columbia. Needing to cover much ground, it was a day spent onboard enjoying presentations in the lounge, a delicious brunch, and looking for wildlife from the bow and bridge. We spotted whales in the distance, recognized by the distinctive blow from their spouts. Taking three to four breaths at the surface then diving down, we witnessed what is referred to as lunge feeding. The energy was high after spotting these cetaceans. While enjoying a presentation from our National Geographic expert, Toni, we were elated to spot a coastal brown bear close to the water’s edge. It looked very slender, indicating it had recently come out of its winter hibernation. Then things got really wild when the bridge and a guest onboard spotted something dog-like on the intertidal. Witnessing a wolf is something that naturalists and guests alike wait years to experience. The sea wolf, as they are colloquially known, lives and feeds out on the waters of British Columbia. This was an absolute treat and marked our day as a win for wildlife.