The Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions and Travel Photographer Susan Seubert

This year began with a remarkable assignment on board the National Geographic Endeavour in the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos are located about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.  Being a National Geographic Photography Expert for National Geographic Expeditions is one of the highlights of my career as a photographer and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to travel to a variety of destinations with National Geographic and Lindblad.  This was my first trip to the Galapagos and I was fortunate enough to visit all of the islands where people are allowed to go ashore to hike and observe the unique landscape and wildlife that this remarkable archipelago has to offer.  Of course, the animals are the stars of the show, but these islands have a rich history, most famously tied to Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution.  The trickiest part of this journey was trying to absorb the immense amount of information that the naturalists provided both in the field and on board the ship and at the same time, concentrate on making pictures.  I’m just now beginning to edit some 20,000 images that I took during this 20 day adventure and have started to post some on my stock photography site here.  I hope to add more images regularly to my stock photography site, but for now, here are a few of my favorite moments from the expedition.  Thank you for visiting!

The National Geographic Endeavour, a ship that serves the Galapagos

A sandy beach at sunset with Galapagos sea lions on the island of San Cristobal

A newborn sea lion pup on a sandy beach on the island of San Cristobal

A colony of sea lions nap on a sandy beach on the island of Espanola

A solitary Galapagos sea lion on a sandy beach on the island of Espanola

Nazca Boobies nesting on Espanola Island in the Galapagos

A morning hike on Floreana Island, looking for wild flamingos

Marine Iguanas basking on the beach of Espanola Island

Santa Cruz Island, home to wild giant tortoises and the Charles Darwin Research Center

the fish market in Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos. Brujo, a sea lion, hangs out and waits for scraps from the fishmonger

El Trapiche, a small, family run farm, sells small batch, organic coffee. Here, they are roasting the coffee beans

While snorkeling at Champion Islet we encountered some very playful sea lions who seemed to enjoy posing for the camera!

Please remember that all images on this site are copyrighted and may not be used in any form without express permission from Susan Seubert Photography.

Thank you!!!

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National Geographic Expeditions Photographer Susan Seubert heading to Baja

Hola!  Today I leave for La Paz, a city on the Baja Peninsula on the Gulf of California for the Baja California Odyssey as the on-board Photography Expert for National Geographic.   I will be on the National Geographic Sea Bird for eleven days to explore with naturalists and guests the Gulf of California and its islands, the Baja Peninsula, and some whale watching in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side.  Every year, the Eastern Pacific Grey Whales migrate to the protected inlets along the Pacific Coast of Baja California to give birth.  Last year was magnificent, as I was on board later in the season and there were many whales with their calves.  This trip will focus on not only the natural beauty of the Gulf of California and its islands, but will also have an archeological component, making this trip a particularly special one.  I look forward to working with my colleagues on board and meeting all the guests who share our interest in education about and preservation of this unique environment.  Here is a link to some images I made last year from the trip that emphasized the whales in Bahia de Magdalina.  Enjoy y hasta pronto!

An adult female gray whale in Bahia de Magdalena, one of the birthing grounds of this species on the Pacific Ocean side of the Baja peninsula in Mexico

The National Geographic Sea Bird, Baja California, Among the Great Whales. A baby grey whale comes up to greet our zodiac.

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National Geographic Expeditions Photographer Susan Seubert in Alaska

Greetings!  I had the wonderful privilege of being the on-board Photography Expert for the week of May 22 on the National Geographic Sea Bird in Alaska’s Inside Passage.  The week was packed with wildlife sightings, hiking, zodiac tours and kayaking – I can’t believe how fast the 8 day journey went!  We explored a lot of territory in a short amount of time, and being on board a small ship we were able to go places that larger vessels cannot.  I arrived with a large portion of the guests on a flight from Seattle to Juneau, from which we were whisked to a wonderful lunch.  Afterwords, we had an hour or so to peruse the Alaska State Museum, then we were off to Mendenhall Glacier, just 12 miles outside of the city center.  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw 3 stand-up paddle-boarders in full wetsuits making their way through the icebergs towards the glacier.  The visitor’s center is quite nice, but I relished the time outdoors.  Later that afternoon we boarded the Sea Bird and were treated, as usual, to a delightful dinner.  Later that evening we set sail for the remainder of our adventure, which culminated with a brief tour of Sitka, its Russian Orthodox Church and the Alaska Raptor Center, which rehabilitates injured birds of prey.  More on this expedition in future posts but in the mean time, here are a few snapshots from the first 24 hours of our adventure.  You can see a web gallery of images from Alaska here.  Enjoy!

A Stand-Up Paddle-boarder (SUP) paddling through the icebergs at Mendenhall Glacier outside of Juneau

National Geographic Sea Bird anchored in Endicott Arm near Dawes Glacier

Zodiac excursions to see Dawes Glacier up close and personal

tasting the icebergs!

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Multimedia Photographer Susan Seubert with National Geographic Expeditions in Alaska

Last week I spent aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird where we traversed Alaska’s Inside Passage.  The weather was constantly changing but it rained very little, much to my surprise and delight!  I will be writing more about this National Geographic Expedition in the next few days, but I was so excited about this footage that I felt that the blogsphere would be a better place if I could share the joy of watching a pair of Dall’s porpoises bow riding on the last day of our journey.  I was preparing for a slideshow presentation when I suddenly heard hoots of excitement coming from the front of the ship.  A group of these cetaceans had decided to join us and bow ride for a good deal of time.  For a while, there were as many as 5 in front of our ship, much to the delight of everyone on board.  People took turns looking over the bow as the animals jumped and played in the water.  I was fortunate enough to get some video footage of these amazing marine mammals.  Their distinguishing marks were made visible as they turned on their sides and it was wonderful to witness their agility as they frolicked in front of the ship.  I hope that the movie below transports you to Southeast Alaska for a moment and affords you a glimpse into what it’s like to be on board with National Geographic.

Dall’s Porpoises bow riding the National Geographic Sea Bird

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This video was made with a Canon 5D Mark II fitted with a 24-105 IS USM lens and processed in iMovie.

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National Geographic Expeditions Photographer Susan Seubert heading to Alaska

Greetings!  After a month of surfing and shooting in Maui, I’ll be headed to Alaska’s Inside Passage for an expedition with National Geographic and Lindblad aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird from May 22-29, 2010.  Last night we saw at least six humpback whales off Ka’anapali Beach here on Maui and I’m looking forward to seeing more of these large cetaceans in Alaska where they migrate to their feeding grounds.  Here in the Hawaiian Islands, the whales mate and give birth, but they don’t eat, so they’ll be mighty hungry when they return to the colder waters of Alaska. If you’d like to join us on this expedition, please sign up here.  See you there!

National Geographic Expeditions "Alaska's Inside Passage"

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Multimedia by Susan Seubert from National Geographic Expeditions, Among the Great Whales

Saturday night, or possibly Sunday morning, my 737 delivered me safely home to Portland after I spent 16 days in Bahia de Magdalena and the Gulf of California, otherwise known as the Sea of Cortez.  It was a thrilling adventure aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird where I was the National Geographic Photography Expert on board the ship.  I met many, many lovely people who had come from all corners of the earth to enjoy the extraordinary drama of this place.  In Bahia de Magdalena, one of three nurseries for Gray Whales along the Pacific Coast of the Baja Peninsula, we encountered these behemoths.  It is difficult to put into words the feeling when a month old baby whale sticks its head out of the water, looks directly at you, and invites a scratch on the chin.  The whales chose us as their companions and judging from the size of these cetaceans, we knew we had to follow their lead.  The expedition took us to many islands in the Gulf of California where amazing rock formations and incredible diversity of plant and animal life welcomed us.  The water changed color constantly depending on where we were in the Gulf. The shallow coves were inviting for kayaking, snorkeling and bbq’s under the star littered sky.  Our brief stop in San Jose del Cabo was a nice visit to terra firma and an opportunity to bird watch in the estuary.  Otherwise, shopping and sightseeing were an added treat to a trip dominated by the wild blue yonder.  We encountered not only Humpback whales and their calves frolicking in the ocean, but also numerous dolphins, and magnificent Blue Whales, the largest animals ever known to have existed.  Here is a very brief multimedia piece that I hope offers a tiny sliver of this incredible expedition with National Geographic and Lindblad.  Enjoy!

Among the Great Whales, Baja, California

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Susan Seubert heading to Baja with National Geographic Expeditions

Greetings!  It is with great pleasure that I am able to post that this Saturday I’ll begin an expedition with National Geographic Expeditions to Baja and the Sea of Cortez on board the National Geographic Sea Bird.  We will be exploring Bahia Magdalena where gray whales migrate in order to breed and raise their calves.  This region is beautiful with its sand dunes, mangroves and calm waters.  The adventure continues as we head south along the Baja peninsula and make many stops along the way up in to the Sea of Cortez.  I’ll be on board for sixteen days, traveling with the expedition in both directions and am looking forward to not only the magical encounters with the wealth of wildlife in the area, but to all the guests I’ll have the pleasure of meeting on board the ship.  Daily expedition reports are posted online, so anyone can follow the ship’s daily discoveries.  Adios y hasta pronto!

 

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National Geographic Expeditions Photography Expert Susan Seubert going to Baja

I am pleased to announce that I will be on board an upcoming expedition on the National Geographic Sea Bird as the resident photography expert in Baja for an adventure in the Sea of Cortez.  We will be observing California Grey Whales in Bahia Magdalena on the Pacific side of Baja as well as hiking among the huge cactus, kayaking, watching migratory birds or swimming with sea lions around the islands off the coast of Baja in the Sea of Cortez. This trip will have many opportunities for observing wildlife with the added benefit of a team of naturalists and marine biologists at your disposal.  It will be a magnificent adventure.  I suggest that if you are interested, you book your itinerary with National Geographic Expeditions early!  I will be on board for two departures: February 26th and again on March 5th, 2011, so come join us on board the National Geographic Sea Bird.

 

click on the image to be taken to the itinerary page

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National Geographic Expeditions

I am pleased to announce that I have been asked to be one of a team of experts leading an expedition down the Columbia River Gorge in October.  Join me on one of three excursions this fall down the Columbia River Gorge aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. I will be among the team of experts, serving as the photo expert, aboard the ship and look forward to joining you for an excursion through the Pacific Northwest.  For more information about the expedition, go to the National Geographic Expeditions Website.  Bon Voyage!

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