Patagonia Expeditions

Expedition Leader

Every Patagonia expedition sails with a veteran expedition leader and a team of naturalists with a variety of specialties: zoology, biology, ornithology, geology, history, and more. Other members of the team include a National Geographic photographer, plus a Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor, an undersea specialist, a wellness specialist, and a video chronicler. A generous 10-to-1 ratio of guest-to-staff ensures access and personal attention.

Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.

Naturalist

Explore Patagonia with a team of naturalists who have a variety of specialties: zoology, biology, ornithology, geology, history, and more. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.

Undersea Specialist

Discover what lies beneath the waves with an onboard undersea specialist who can dive into the cold waters to shoot video of what lies beneath the waves or deploy an ROV to depths of 1,000 feet to explore rarely seen regions.

National Geographic Photography Expert

Travel and shoot with a bona fide National Geographic Photography Expert. These top pros are at your side and at your service—providing advice, tips, and slideshows. Access to photographers of this caliber will help you improve your skills and ensure you go home with incredible photos.

Photo Instructor

Every Patagonia expedition also offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to help you become a better, more confident photographer—and to help you understand the movements of wildlife so you can create top shots.

Wellness Specialist

Our wellness program embodies the belief that nature is vitalizing and that wildness, as Thoreau famously said, supplies a tonic. Wellness Specialists are fully accredited and experienced licensed massage therapists and are aboard every ship in the National Geographic-flagged fleet. They lead morning stretch class, aerobic walks ashore, kayak outings, and more.

Kike Calvo

Award-winning photographer, journalist, and author Kike Calvo (pronounced Kee-Keh) specializes in culture and environment. His images have been published in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair, among others.

Join him on the March 10, 2024, departure of Patagonia: Chilean Fjords and Argentina's Staten Island

Todd Gipstein

Todd Gipstein has worked with National Geographic since 1987. His photographs have been published in National Geographic and Traveler magazines and in many books. His award-winning documentaries have dealt with a diverse range of topics, including photography, nature, the environment, history, exploration, travel, and National Geographic itself.

Join him aboard the March 12, 2024, departure of Southern Patagonia: Glaciers, Fjords & Wildlife.

Isaí Madriz

R. Isaí Madriz, Ph.D. is a photographer, storyteller, and entomologist, with expertise in freshwater aquatic insects of Patagonia. To bring attention to insect conservation in this area of the world, Madriz writes stories of the vanishing insect diversity, exploration, and science using macrophotography to showcase the six-legged jewels of Patagonia.

Join him aboard the Oct. 22, 2024, departure of Patagonia: Chilean Fjords and Argentina's Staten Island.