The mission of the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station is to provide knowledge and assistance through scientific research and complementary action to ensure the conservation of the environment and biodiversity in the Galápagos Archipelago.
On Lindblad Expeditions’ Galapagos Islands trips, children can watch extraordinary-looking birds, sea mammals, insects, and reptiles in their natural habitat.
What if your family vacation created more than just memories? What if it influenced the course of your child’s life? That is the wonderfully inspiring story
With a lovely hike at Seymour, our day started. We took an amazing tender ride around the shorelines of the island. In the afternoon, we enjoyed an amazing snorkel at Rabida Island, which has red sand beaches and sediments along the topography of the island.
Overnight, we traveled north on the Lynn Canal and arrived in Haines, Alaska’s adventure capital. For guests on National Geographic Sea Bird , it was a choose your own adventure day. In the morning, guests could hike to Mt Riley, raft down the Chilkat River, or go flyfishing. In the afternoon, options included flyfishing, a guided bike tour, or a hike to Battery Point. In this small town of a little over 2,000 people, guests explored some amazing wildlife and landscapes. After the day’s outdoor activities, we gathered on National Geographic Sea Bird to exchange stories and learn even more from our naturalists.
We spent the day in San Sebastian, considered by many to be the most beautiful city in Spain. Situated in the mountainous north, this is Basque Country, a region with its own unique language (Euskara), food, and culture. We took a walking tour of this resort city next to France to observe the beautiful architecture, bridges, and churches. Then, we all walked through the old section of the city to visit the Txoko Gastronomic Society, where we sampled several different Basque dishes. Some guests walked up the hill for panoramic views. In the afternoon, National Geographic Explorer cruised out of the very narrow Pasaia Harbor under blues skies. What an amazing sight, as we went by old buildings, fishing boats, waving people, tilted rock layers, and several lighthouses…all very close to us due to the narrow harbor mouth. During the afternoon, we had delicious Swedish pancakes in the bistro for teatime. Later, the captain gave his farewell toast, thanking the entire staff during cocktail hour. Finally, we had a fantastic dinner on our final evening to celebrate an amazing eleven-day voyage around the Iberian Peninsula.
We visited Genovesa Island today. This collapsed caldera is a unique place where thousands of seabirds can be observed at different life stages. We disembarked in the morning for a natural history walk along the beach at Darwin’s Bay, followed by kayaking and snorkeling in the bay. In the afternoon, we explored Prince Philip’s Steps. We finished our last full day in the Galapagos with a toast aboard National Geographic Islander II .
We spent today in the northernmost entrance to the Inside Passage of Alaska. This is an amazing place for wildlife and wild weather, and we had a fantastic day experiencing all that Cross Sound has to offer.