Navy vet Neil O'Connor was a guest aboard National Geographic Orion this past season. Here is the story of this 91 year old's poignant return to the island of Attu in the Aluetian Islands chain.
See spectacular wildlife photos taken aboard National Geographic Orion in the Bering Sea. National Geographic photographers captured brown bears, arctic fox, killer whales, bald eagles and many other animals in the region.
The islands and coasts that ring the Bering Sea are teeming with birdlife and fascinating land mammals like muskox, arctic fox, and brown bears; while the surrounding waters are churning with whales, seals, otters, and more.
Inhabited mainly by wildlife and strikingly picturesque, the Kuril Islands are a land of extremes—of snow and volcanoes, of sea lions and arctic foxes. Learn more about this remote and remarkable place.
Glacier Bay National Park is one of the jewels in the crown of the United States National Park Service and there is no better way to see its incredible landscapes than from a capable and comfortable expedition ship like National Geographic Venture . We had the pleasure of Park Ranger Allie joining us onboard for the day to share her knowledge of the park with a formal presentation in the lounge and through informal chats with guests on the bow. Allie told us that 700,000 visitors made it to the park last year and 90% of those came by ship. In answer to the question, “Is it ok for so many ships to be visiting such a pristine place?” she said, “Without ships as a means to access this area, all of these people would be denied an opportunity to learn about an important wilderness environment that has been set aside and protected for the people of the United States to enjoy”. During our full day sailing in the bay, we patiently watched the glacial faces for calving events, scanned the coastline with binoculars for rocks that moved (i.e. bears!), and smiled as we passed small rafts of cute otters swimming by. It was another fabulous day in Southeast Alaska.
This morning before breakfast, the bridge team of National Geographic Quest spotted orcas in Freshwater Bay. Eager to see this iconic whale species, the bow was quickly occupied by excited guests, staff, and crew. We could not have asked for better conditions. A sunny, calm morning with at least a dozen orcas! Wow! After breakfast we went ashore at Kennel Creek on Chichagof Island and split into aerobic, moderate, and casual walking groups. After yesterday’s wet forest at Fox Creek, we welcomed the firm, dry ground of an old logging road. Along our walks there were abundant signs of brown bears. One of the two aerobic walks had fresh bear tracks on top of their footprints upon their return. In the afternoon cruising down Chatham Strait, we enjoyed time on deck soaking up the sun when an eagle-eye naturalist spotted a group of humpbacks ten miles away! As we approached, we could see that this was no small group, as twenty-three whales were bubble net feeding! This day will long be imprinted in our memories of wild Alaska.
We began our day with a beautiful drive across the Isle of Mull in order to take a ferry to Iona. Iona is important to Christianity, as St. Columba traveled here from Ireland to bring the religion to Scotland and England. We spent the morning exploring this beautiful isle and its charming shops, but the highlights were surely the nunnery, cemetery, and abbey, which still holds services to this day. In the afternoon we returned to Mull, passing red deer and Highland cows on our drive, and visited Duart Castle, the home of Clan MacLean. Once we returned to the ship, we set sail for Oban and enjoyed a whiskey tasting from Oban Distillery after dinner. Tomorrow, we look forward to exploring Oban further.
Today we explored the island of Santiago. In the morning, we visited Espumilla Beach and Bucaneers Cove where we went kayaking and snorkeling. In the afternoon, we visited Puerto Egas where we had our last afternoon of our expedition in the Galapagos Islands. The landscape today was full of wildlife and amazing geological formations that offered great opportunities for photography, conversations, and wonderful memories with our dear guests.
National Geographic Endeavour II anchored in Academy Bay very early this morning, and after breakfast, we headed ashore to stay all day long on this island. We went to The Giant Tortoises Breeding Center to learn all about their history as well as the efforts to breed this emblematic species from extinction. We also went to a couple of local farms that cultivate different crops. Many of the products grown locally here are consumed on board our ship. After lunch, we explored a farm that Galapagos giant tortoises walk through every year looking for lush vegetation and fresh water.