In 1958 Lars-Eric Lindblad, considered the father of eco travel, founded Lindblad Travel and pioneered the first non-scientific expeditions to Antarctica (1966) and Galápagos (1967), subsequently opening the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, China, Bhutan, and more to curious, respectful travelers. In 1979, his son Sven-Olof Lindblad founded Special Expeditions, eventually re-named Lindblad Expeditions, specializing in ship-based expedition travel. In 2004 Lindblad Expeditions forged an unprecedented alliance with National Geographic with a joint mission “to inspire people to explore and care about the planet through expedition travel.” Today the company operates a fleet of 10 ships, including the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer, the world’s ultimate expedition ship, and the 106-guest National Geographic Orion, the newest ship in the Lindblad-National Geographic fleet. All ships sail equipped with sophisticated exploration tools, to provide unique, immersive experiences in the planet’s capitals of wildness and culture. Our expedition ships regularly explore Galápagos, Antarctica, Alaska, Arctic Norway, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe, the Baltics, Vietnam and Cambodia, and more.