On This Day

More than fifty years ago, Lars-Eric Lindblad chartered a ship and brought the first non-scientific travelers to Antarctica. A year later, in 1967, he did it again in Galápagos. Founded as Lindblad Travel in 1958, Lars-Eric Lindblad would risk it all to bring a handful of “citizen explorers” to the very last corners of the Earth. Backed by a treasure trove of archival footage and meticulously researched, “On This Day” explores—and celebrates—this heritage of Lars-Eric Lindblad’s evolving vision for Lindblad Expeditions.

February 17, 1967: Lindblad's First Galápagos Expedition

On this day in 1967, Lars-Eric Lindblad filled a couple of suitcases with Chilean pesos, headed to Valparaiso, chartered the Navarino, a ship he described as “no frills, but comfortable,” then cruised to Lima to embark his guests for the first citizen explorer expedition to Galápagos. 

April 30, 1972

In 1972, Lindblad Expeditions began its first voyage to the Amazon as a full-fledged expedition company, visiting 350 ports of call along the way.

March 28, 1970

On this day in 1970, Sven-Olof Lindblad led his first safari in east Africa. Like his father before him, Sven understood that ships could be used to transport people to wild areas that rival the great plains of Africa.

January 23, 1966

On this day in 1966, Lars-Eric Lindblad made history when he took 57 travelers on the first-ever “citizen explorers” cruise to Antarctica. Regarded as the father of ecotourism, Lars-Eric believed that people who saw things with their own eyes would be a potent force for the preservation of the places they visited.

February 17, 1967

On this day in 1967, Lars-Eric Lindblad filled a couple of suitcases with Chilean pesos, headed to Valparaiso, chartered the Navarino, a ship he described as “no frills, but comfortable,” then cruised to Lima to embark his guests for the first citizen explorer expedition to Galápagos.