One of the greatest things about a Lindblad Expedition is that even when weather prevents you from doing a planned excursion, it never means doing nothing for the day. In true expedition style, it means exploring the possibilities and figuring out an incredible plan B. Today was one of those days. Even though our initial plans were cancelled by weather, the day turned into an incredible adventure and in my mind, it was one of the best days of the expedition so far. We started early with a visit to Stac Lee, a sea stack with hundreds of thousands of gannets nesting on the island. It hosts the largest gannet colony in Scotland. When our planned visit to St. Kilda was cancelled, we set off to the Isle of Lewis to visit the Stones of Callanish, a spectacular megalithic monument dating back to 3000 BC.
5/8/2025
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National Geographic Explorer
The West Coast of Ireland
Today marked the day we entered Irish waters, and we were incredibly lucky to continue being graced with the most uncommon weather for the British and Irish Isles – calm seas and clear, sunny skies! These spectacular conditions made for a wonderful morning spent watching dolphins ride the bow of National Geographic Explorer. We enjoyed smooth sailing for our presentations, including a fantastic talk about Climate Justice and the Climate and Nature Crisis by the amazing Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland. After lunch, we visited the Aran Island of Inishmore where we enjoyed wonderful hospitality on the small island of less than 800 people. We admired the spectacular views from the steep sea cliffs near Dun Aengus. To round out a delightful first day exploring the coast of Ireland, we carried on cruising with calm sea conditions, the stunning cliffs of Moher on our port side, and a glowing sunset on our starboard side.
