67 west coast of Greenland, tracking the biodiversity of seaweed, and studying how glacial cliffs break, collapse and contribute to rising sea levels. “The Arctic region is especially powerful, allowing guests to witness both beauty and change in real time alongside the scientists working to document and protect it – and one where we’ve proudly partnered with local communities and governments to explore for decades,” says Trey Byus, chief expedition officer at Lindblad Expeditions. “By facilitating this vital work through our onboard programmes, we reaffirm our commitment to science and education, and to conserving the extraordinary environments we explore daily.” National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions also hosts a youth engagement programme to provide hands-on activities designed to inspire curiosity and environmental stewardship. From learning to drive a Zodiac boat to collecting plankton and logging wildlife sightings in a personal field notebook, every activity is designed to help young travellers see and do more. It’s available on family-friendly itineraries in Alaska, Antarctica, Baja California, Iceland and the Galapagos Islands. Ships like Bark Europa, a 56-metretall vessel that travels with no more than 60 people onboard at a time, is another prime example of what expedition cruise research looks like in practice. As part of the Polar Citizen Science Collective, guests participate in projects such as seabird surveys, plankton sampling for polar citizen science project FjordPhyto, whale identification for Happywhale, and weather data reporting to the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute. Bark Europa’s slow, purposeful sailing style makes it particularly well-suited to supporting this hands-on science. “During landings and Zodiac cruises, our guides connect what guests see with scientific and environmental knowledge,” says Nina Jolink, general manager of onboard science at Bark Europa. “It’s education that sticks, because it’s felt. Our goal is for every guest to not only leave with memories, but also to become an ambassador for the oceans we sail in.” Scenic Cruises, which hosts polar expeditions with a dedicated discovery centre onboard its ships, also participates in whale identification efforts through the Happywhale programme. “We offer these programmes to deepen guests’ understanding of the incredible environments they visit and to promote sustainable and responsible travel,” says Jason Flesher, director of expeditions at Scenic Cruises. “Guests can participate Silversea has onboard libraries for guests to learn more about the areas they are sailing through
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=