In Antarctica earlier this year, a minke whale glided up to our Zodiacs and spent several min-

utes circling the boats and eyeing our travelers with curiosity just an arm's-length away. In the

Sea of Cortez, we raced with hundreds of dolphins as they arced and splashed through the

turquoise waters; and in Alaska, we watched a mother bear and her cubs climbing and sled-

ding down an icy slope. Polar bears ambled up to get a better look at us in Arctic Svalbard and

Galápagos penguins peered through our snorkeling masks. These one-of-a-kind moments,

full of excitement and wonderment, make you feel like you might be living in the pages of

National Geographic magazine. And they happen over and over again when you’re traveling

aboard the National Geographic-Lindblad fl eet. Sometimes they happen several times a day.

A member of our expedition team wrote about one such day on a trip to Alaska this past

summer:

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MOMENTS

EVERY DAY

4

Clockwise from top left: Polar bears in the Arctic spotted from the safety of our ship; guests explore the Sea of Cortez off the Baja

California coast by expedition landing craft; a curious minke whale surfaces next to our Zodiacs in Antarctica; a playful monkey in the

jungles of Costa Rica; a sea lion hops aboard a guest's kayak in the Galápagos; snorkeling with penguins in the Galápagos.