An Arctic Seabird Guide, Extraordinary Mangroves & the Joys of Slow Travel

Lawrence Blair, filmmaker of the award-winning documentary series Ring of Fire, first visited Indonesia in the early 1970s, and he really never left. Before Blair joins us as a guest speaker on board National Geographic Orion this November, watch as he recalls his first trip to the extraordinary island nation, including his early days working with Lindblad Expeditions.

Wherever we travel, we’re thankfully never too far from seabirds, especially in the Arctic. Naturalist and avian expert Jamie Coleman highlights 11 of the most exciting species we encounter at the top of the world.

You could simply hop a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean but then you would be missing out—on the romance and adventure of life on the high seas, on the chance to step foot on remote islands visited by only the most intrepid explorers, and on the many restorative benefits of slow travel.

Mangrove forests are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, able to grow in bodies of water and withstand high levels of salinity. In celebration of International Mangrove Day, discover the importance of these precious habitats for iconic Galápagos species like the red-footed booby, and how we can best protect them.