In this Expedition Spotlight, naturalist Steve Zeff reveals the vast beauty and natural wonders found in Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest national park in the world.
The highly maneuverable 48-guest National Geographic Gemini is geared for discovery in the Galápagos with expedition tools and onboard experiences that will expand your understanding of this legendary destination.
We are on our third day at sea without any view of land but are closing in on our next destination, the Canary Islands. The seas have calmed a bit, bringing more people out on the bow to enjoy the beautiful blues of the Atlantic Ocean and to watch for seabirds flying by. enjoyed another day full of presentations, learning about travel photography, the deep sea, and the Age of Discovery. We finished the day soaking in the sun during an outdoor cocktail hour. After a few days at sea, we are excited to reach La Palma tomorrow.
Today our guests experienced Santiago Island. This is the Island that Darwin explored the most when he visited the Galapagos back in 1835. Darwin, together with some of the crew of HMS Beagle, camped on the island of Santiago for a week. While on the island, Darwin studied Galapagos marine and land iguanas, collected finches, mockingbirds, insects, and plants. Most of the species that Darwin collected were unique to the islands.
Colors were bright on this marvelous spring day in Santa Maria. The sun shined as hikers made their long descent down to Anjos. The moderate to strenuous walk started at the Church of Santo Espírito, zigzagged around grassy fields, cows, cedars, and windmills and went to where the tallest waterfall in Portugal jumps over the cliff. As the steep trail ran down to the village of Maia along the rock walls, we enjoyed the star-shaped yellow flowers of the endemic Aichryson santamariensis. Those that preferred to explore the island on the scenic tour visited the top of the island and Pico Alto, the church where Columbus’ crew stopped to pray while returning from the New World, and other viewpoints, including São Lourenço Bay, truly a postcard come to life. In the afternoon we had presentations by Angélica Bas Gómez on cetacean migration through the Azores, and National Geographic Photographer Krista Rossow instructed us on how to photograph people. The talks were interrupted by a couple of blue whales during our crossing from Santa Maria to São Miguel. The night brought us the Azorean guitar - Viola da Terra - played by Rafael Carvalho, a local master musician. It was a wonderful ending to a wonderful day.
Today we visited the island of Santiago. In the morning, we explored the coastline of Puerto Egas and spent some time on the beach observing the friendly creatures resting on the rocks. In the afternoon, we explored Buccaneer Cove by kayaking, snorkeling, and Zodiac cruising. The western side of Santiago offered remarkable moments observing wildlife and great opportunities for photography.
This morning, we left the dock in Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii in search of wildlife. Our fabulous bridge team took us slowly north along the coast of Haida Gwaii towards Old Massett. The east coast of Haida Gwaii is an excellent place to spot humpback whales, killer whales, and if we are lucky, gray whales. Well, we were super lucky and spotted a few gray whales! During our sea day, guests were spoiled with a myriad of interesting presentations. In addition, throughout the day, some guests enjoyed reading on the sundeck while others visited the bridge, and many delighted in taking a nap. The day closed with a fun recap session and a magnificent dinner. Tonight, we cross Hecate Straight, and tomorrow we will wake up in Alaska! Sweet dreams from National Geographic Sea Lion.
