Expedition Stories

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

World View

8/25/2020

3 Min Read

Traversing Scotland's Caledonian Canal

Sail through Scotland's Caledonian Canal and the Inner Hebrides aboard Lord of the Glens, the only ship capable of transiting both with ease and grace. The 62-mile Great Glen seems to have been created by uncorking bucolic landscapes and spilling them over the Atlantic and North Sea in a colossal rush of isles, lochs, and canals.

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Daily Expedition Reports

Follow Along

Daily Expedition Reports

4/27/2025

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National Geographic Sea Lion

Glacier Bay National Park

The waters surrounding Bartlett Cove were so calm this morning that we could see the reflection of the National Park Visitor Center Lodge on the ocean. Bright and early, we hiked into a magical part of the Tongass National Forest. Although there was a chill in the air, no precipitation came until much later in the day, just before dinner.   Soon after our departure from Bartlett Cove, wildlife was all around us! Humpback whales, Steller sea lions, northern sea otters, and tufted puffins all graced us with their presence along South Marble Island. Later, in Geikie Inlet, we spotted not one, but two bears! An American black bear and a coastal brown bear. We came across dozens of goats at Gloomy Knob and even a northern marmot. Margerie Glacier greeted us just before dinner as National Geographic Sea Lion bobbed amongst the ice. What a fantastic day in Glacier Bay National Park.

Daily Expedition Reports

4/27/2025

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National Geographic Islander II

Floreana Island

Floreana was the first of the Galapagos Islands to be colonized by people. Ecuador took possession of the islands in 1832 and established a penal colony on Floreana Island. When Darwin visited the Galapagos in 1835, Floreana was the second island he visited. During his stay, Darwin explored the highlands.

Daily Expedition Reports

4/27/2025

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National Geographic Endeavour II

Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez, Española Island

It was our first full day in the Galapagos, and we started our exploration with Española Island, on the southeastern side of the archipelago.   The first visitor site, Gardner Bay, has a mile-long sandy beach with turquoise waters, which provided a perfect opportunity for snorkeling. Here, we also enjoyed observing a variety of wildlife, like mockingbirds and the Galapagos sea lion.   Soon after we were all back onboard, we had lunch and repositioned to Punta Suarez for a walk to search for the famous waved albatross. Today they were incubating their eggs, and soon we’ll have little chicks all over the island. We also had an opportunity to take a shorter walk, enjoying baby sea lions, turtles, and much more. We were welcomed by wildlife with no fear…and our expedition story has just begun.

Daily Expedition Reports

4/27/2025

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National Geographic Gemini

Rabida and Santiago Islands

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to explore two islands in the central region of Galapagos. During the morning, we explored Rabida Island and, in the afternoon, Santiago Island.   Rabida Island is the red island, and we had our kayaks deployed to look for wildlife and we marveled at the landscape. This morning, some of our guests had the chance to walk along the coast, and they encountered a flamboyant of flamingoes feeding on brine shrimp by the lagoon.   After breakfast we went snorkeling from the red sand beach of Rabida where we encountered sharks, fish of several species, and some Galapagos marine iguanas warming up under the sun.   This afternoon, we walked along the trail of Puerto Egas and enjoyed the nice breeze and the color of the sky at the end of the day.

Daily Expedition Reports

4/26/2025

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National Geographic Islander II

Bartolome and Cerro Dragon

Bartholomew Island offers the most iconic and photographed volcanic feature of the Galapagos Archipelago: Pinnacle Rock. This small islet is also home to the most tropical penguin on the planet. The Galapagos penguin is small, smart, and incredibly fast. We had an amazing time observing when one of the penguins used human beings as blockers to help corral small fish between him and the beach.   Later that afternoon, we dropped anchor at Dragon Hill on the northwestern side of Santa Cruz Island. The abundant rains of the current rainy season have transformed the normally dry landscape into something lush, green, and full of insects. Nevertheless, the land iguanas were abundant. A chillier breeze told us that the rainy season is probably over.