Lyons Ferry, Washington
Columbia and Snake Rivers Journey, April 21, 2023
Red-tailed hawk riding the thermals of the Palouse River. —Jesse Humbert, Naturalist
At Sea, Strait of Gibraltar
Sailing the Western Mediterranean: Spain to Corsica aboard Sea Cloud, April 24, 2023
An excellent opportunity to photograph the Sea Cloud from the Zodiacs as we sail towards Granada. —Myriam Casper, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Inverewe, Scotland
Exploring Scotland’s Wild Isles: Shetlands, Orkneys, and Inner Hebrides, April 28, 2023
Our morning started with a short Zodiac ride. As we approached the shore, the haunting sound of the bagpipes reached us. Soon we could make out the solitary figure of a piper on the rocks welcoming us to Inverewe Gardens. —Mairi Fenton, Naturalist (photo by Lisa Hornak)
Floreana Island, Galápagos
Wild Galápagos Escape, April 30, 2023
In the afternoon, we had some relaxing beach time at Punta Cormorant in north Floreana. We disembarked on a beach that appeared greenish, due to the high concentration of olivine, a glassy mineral abundant in the area. Walking inland, we reached a lagoon behind the beach and saw many flamingos whose pink color contrasted with the green of the water. —Paul Vergara, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
At Sea to Sardinia, Italy
Corsica and Sardinia aboard Sea Cloud, April 30, 2023
Sailing towards Italy, a goldfinch joined us. —Tom Heffernan, Historian (photo by Myriam Casper)
Amanu Atoll, French Polynesia
Easter Island to Tahiti: Tales of the Pacific, May 1, 2023
This morning, National Geographic Orion left the dock in Hao and headed for the only pass in the atoll that would allow us to exit the large lagoon and French Polynesia’s fourth largest atoll. We did not have far to travel and arrived at Amanu Atoll around breakfast. We headed for shore and were welcomed with quite a reception, complete with leis, music, and a lively atmosphere. Musicians and children led us into their community in a procession. Upon arrival, we were gifted hats woven from palm fronds, greeted by the mayor, and entertained with a sweet performance of hula and music.
Sucia Island, Washington
Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia, May 1, 2023
Canada geese goslings. —Marylou Blakeslee, Naturalist
Aberdeen, Scotland
Exploring Scotland’s Wild Isles: Shetlands, Orkneys, and Inner Hebrides, May 2, 2023
Some guests visited a farm on the edge of the city that specialized in breeding Highland cows. There were many cows in the herd along with three bulls. Grace, the farmer we met, also raised a small flock of sheep and some goats. —John Pailthorpe, Naturalist (photo by Clara Fuquen)
Nanaimo, British Columbia
A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia, and Haida Gwaii, May 3, 2023
Brant geese head north. —Eric Guth, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Alert Bay, British Columbia
Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia, May 4, 2023
National Geographic Venture and National Geographic Sea Lion dive teams meet up for an underwater selfie under the Alert Bay dock with one of the area’s many incredible critters: a large basket star with feeding arms outstretched into the current. —Patrick Webster, Undersea Specialist
Green Inlet, British Columbia
Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia, May 6, 2023
A chestnut-backed chickadee investigates the scene. —Kyle Bowman, Naturalist (photo by Jesse Humbert)
Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii
A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia, and Haida Gwaii, May 7, 2023
Shortly after lunch, we returned to our buses for a short drive to the Spirit Lake trail. We divided into several small groups and walked in the early spring forest as we listened to our naturalists and cultural interpreters tell stories about the land our feet were touching for the first time. —Sharon Grainger, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Norwegian Fjords and Scottish Isles, May 8, 2023
Newborn lambs have just discovered the joy of running! —Carl Erik Kilander, Naturalist
Maranon River, Peru
Upper Amazon Aboard the Delfin II, May 8, 2023
One of the locals showed us a red-backed poison dart frog. —Aaron Raymond, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Polynesian Discovery: Exploring Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the Tuamotus, May 10, 2023
Once in the water, it wasn’t long before the sun appeared. We were joined by rays and blacktip reef sharks. —Jamie Coleman, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor