Results tagged “Galapagos” from Intelligent Travel Blog

Our friends down the hall at National Geographic Expeditions are offering a free webinar next week on the Galápagos Islands, and are inviting Intelligent Travel readers to join them online on October 20, 2009, from 8-9 p.m. EDT. Full details from the Expeditions crew follow below.

The Galápagos Islands are home to a fascinating array of unique wildlife. Frigate birds puff out their scarlet pouches, 100-year-old giant tortoises lumber through the grasses, and brilliant Sally light-foot crabs scamper across dramatic rocks covered with sunning marine iguanas. Incredibly, these fantastic creatures have no instinctive fear of humans.

National Geographic Expeditions and Lindblad Expeditions have been exploring the Galápagos together for years. Now we invite you to join National Geographic marine biologist Mike Heithaus and veteran expedition leader Carlos Romero on a virtual trip to this magical place. During our upcoming webinar, you'll get a taste of the islands and their wonders--and what makes our expeditions there so special. You'll take a stroll through our ships, meet our naturalists, and learn why our Galápagos trip is a truly spectacular adventure.

When you sign up for the webinar (it's free), you'll be able to email questions  to the Expeditions staff in advance, and any questions that they don't have time to answer during the webinar, they will call you up and answer on the spot. If you'd like to read about this 10-day voyage about the National Geographic Endeavor or Islander, (that's right, we have our own navy), check the Expeditions website here.

Photo: National Geographic Expeditions

Plant a tree in the rainforest. Provide clean water for a river community. Deliver school supplies to an Amazonian school. By traveling with International Expeditions, not only will you experience the rich cultural and biological diversity of the world, but your trip will also help ensure that future generations can experience it, too.

IE, a world leader in nature travel and Amazon conservation programming, offers trips to awe-inspiring locales including the Amazon, the Galapagos, Antarctica, Belize, India, Kenya and South Africa.

The efforts by IE and its travelers take the term "voluntourism" to a new level, demonstrating just what it means to see the world and save it, too. Led by local naturalists and historians, their goal is to cultivate a greater appreciation and understanding of the earth's natural wonders as well as the welfare of the local people and communities within them.

To learn more, I caught up with Maggie Hart, President of International Expeditions, to discuss the program, its conservation efforts and ways that travelers can get involved. See full interview after the jump.

Traveler and Photo District News are currently hosting our annual World in Focus Photo Contest, and this year we're letting readers preview the submissions and vote on their favorites. Each week, we'll feature ten entries on the Traveler website. Here's one of of the featured shots from this week:

We kind of wish were were standing in the sun, taking a photo of an iguana sunbathing in the Galapagos right now. But this picture is by Louise Marie Holst, and she's got a chance to win great trips, cameras, and other gear in our contest. Enter now for your own shot at getting the goods.

IT Contributor Andrew Evans offers an all-inclusive guide to all things penguin.

Penguins are never passé. Be they marching or tapping their happy feet toward another sequel, the little black and white birds are still very much in everybody's minds and hearts. I also imagine that kids who play with plastic penguins in their Happy Meals grow up to be bigger kids who want to see the birds in real life, in the wild.

Admittedly, live penguins are so astonishingly cool--the way they tilt their heads from side to side to get a good look at you, the strange braying chorus they sing, and that distinctive penguin smell that's part fishy dishwasher detergent and part dusty, old attic. Travelers often bemoan the fact that penguin Grand Central is in almost-inaccessible Antarctica, a destination better suited for scientists, explorers, and millionaires. Still, that doesn't mean you have to cross wild penguins off your wish list. The southern hemisphere is filled with alternatives for seeing wild penguins in their natural habitats.

The following locations offer options for safe and sustainable human interaction with wild penguins:

1.    Isla Magdalena, Chile: This lone clump of rocks in the Strait of Magellan is home to over 50,000 breeding pairs of adorable Magellanic penguins. After a one-hour ferry ride from the city of Punta Arenas, the boat drops you off for a good 90-minute visit with the birds. A marked path guides you safely through the penguin nests and up to the island's lighthouse for a remarkable view. (Insider's tip: in case you're tempted to use your hands to climb up those giant mountains of yellow 'dirt' for a better view, don't. That isn't dirt.)

2.    Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: The Galápagos penguin is the world's northernmost penguin species. They live right on the equator, but look and act a lot like the penguins from colder climes. The best viewing spots are on Isabela island (the largest in the archipelago) and the west coast of Fernandina island.

3.    Boulders Beach, Simon's Town, South Africa: Gigantic granite boulders and tropical-looking turquoise inlets are the exotic home for the African or jackass penguin. A system of raised wooden walkways leads you right into the heart of penguin territory, including the penguins' own sandy beach. Afterwards, enjoy a swim at the people's beach next door.