Expedition Stories

Our fleet navigates the world in search of adventure. These are the stories they bring back…

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Daily Expedition Reports

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Daily Expedition Reports

12/25/2024

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National Geographic Endurance

Barrientos and Half Moon Islands

Merry Christmas from National Geographic Endurance which just arrived in Antarctica! It is not a bad Christmas morning when the first thing one does is step foot on the Antarctic Continent to be greeted by penguins!   After a day of sailing, we arrived at the South Shetlands and made our very first landing at Barrientos Island. Already at the beach, we saw gentoos and chinstrap penguins, that seemed to be awaiting our arrival. It was only a short walk to the colonies and there we could see penguins laying on their eggs and even a few recently hatched chicks!   After the great make-your-own-pasta-bar lunch, the next activity was a landing at Half Moon Island. There we chose between a long or shorter hike to get a Christmas Day leg stretch and see even more penguins.   After a busy day of outings, it was time for the first recap of the journey and then finally Christmas dinner, where the Christmas buffet awaited guests with some of the best food there is.   Today was definitely a Christmas Day to remember!

Daily Expedition Reports

12/24/2024

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National Geographic Orion

Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Happy Christmas Eve!   This morning, we rode our Zodiacs ashore to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Local guides shared the history and culture behind the traditional canoes that are still used today to cross oceans. From there our newly minted chief (nominated from the guests) was confronted by the Māori Chief in front of the marae (meeting house). Thankfully we were recognized as coming in peace and we were welcomed inside for a performance of traditional music and dance. Te Whare Runanga is unique because it was built as a national marae to be shared by all Māori tribes.   This evening, we shared in our own musical performance of Christmas carols to celebrate Christmas Eve with all onboard.

Daily Expedition Reports

12/24/2024

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National Geographic Endurance

Drake Passage

The body of water between South America’s Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula, the Drake Passage, is one of the most infamous stretches of water. We were fortunate to have a friendly passage today with only 35 knots of wind and less than 4-meter wave heights. The seas were spitting and spraying while the albatross and petrels relished in soaring along, unhindered.   While we not only prepared ourselves for the journey ahead, but we also got the chance to meet our National Geographic-Lindblad naturalist team and our National Geographic Expert Kenneth Garrett who will be sailing this voyage with us. After a presentation about the seabirds we could expect to see on this voyage by Naturalist Bryan Holliday, we all went out on the outer decks to identify and photograph these magnificent species.

Daily Expedition Reports

12/24/2024

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National Geographic Resolution

Weddell Sea, Erebus and Terror Gulf, Paulet Island

This was a true expedition day, as plans were adjusted due to changing conditions, but in the end, it was a miraculously amazing day full of wonderful events. In the morning, we found ourselves in a very dense concentration of both multi-year and glacial ice, and Captain Martin decided to revise the plan, and we set on the course to Paulet Island, one of the inactive volcanoes in this area where a colony of almost 400,000 Adelie penguins is known to reside. Guests were split in two groups and while the first group had a short hike to observe the penguin colony and very young chicks, the second group enjoyed a presentation onboard, and later they switched.   After a delicious dinner, a group of orcas were spotted from the bridge, and for over an hour guests were able to watch the dramatic episodes of orcas hunting Adelie penguins. It was unforgettable experience on this Christmas Eve!

Daily Expedition Reports

12/23/2024

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National Geographic Venture

Isla San Esteban and San Pedro Martir, Mexico

California sea lions greeted National Geographic Venture off the island of San Esteban this morning! Their curiosity even compelled them to follow our Zodiacs as we transferred to the island for hikes among the cardon cactus forest. We were thrilled to see how playful the sea lions were in the water.   To explore the island of San Pedro Martir in the afternoon, we again set out in Zodiacs. This was a perfect way to explore this world-class UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The island and its steep cliff walls make it an excellent breeding ground for birds. The island is highly protected to ensure the successful population growth for the blue-footed boobies, red-billed tropic birds, and brown boobies that rely on this site as a nesting and breeding ground.