Perched on the ocean
These islands, the Tuamotus, lie so low and shine so bright. Each one makes a hoop on the ocean — circular from above, but long and linear from water level. So beautiful and so harsh. A perch from which to return to the ocean.
Stories & updates
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Apataki atoll
Racing the pass at Apataki on the National Geographic Orion.
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The little things
Arriving to a new place I’m often drawn to the small things. A new landscape, in its entirety, is too overwhelming. I have to take it piece by piece. So this is one of the first encounters I had in French Polynesia once we embarked the National Geographic Orion and headed out into the blue….
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A new start in the Tuamotus
And now for something completely different! French Polynesia in the Tuamotus. The coral, the palms, the secrets they keep. What stories will we find here? I am listening.
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Scouting mission
I stood on the deck for a long time last night as we left Pape’ete, Tahiti’s big city. I couldn’t get used to the warm air. After three years visiting the Arctic and Antarctic, I kept waiting for a blast of cold to hit me. I gripped a cardigan thinking that – any minute –…
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First connection
I wrote Dorothy Lubin-Levy a month and a half ago on Facebook messenger. I didn’t know her, but I wanted to. She was the first person recommended to me, and she wrote back within a couple of days: “I am very honored to find your message. I am looking forward to have a cup of…
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Agonizing over packing
Preparation means packing. I’m away from home five months per year, and I’m still terrible at packing. Especially when I’ve spent the last three years working in the Arctic and now … heat!! I have agonized over sunscreen (reef safe), sun hats (tourist alert), rash guards (new for me), and bathing suits (ugh). I’ve finally…
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South to the South Pacific
The title says it all! This June, a new chapter of my cultural storytelling begins in French Polynesia (insert endless exclamation marks here). I’ll focus on the Marquesas, the most distant island group in this part of the Pacific, and a robust cultural network. I’m calling the project South Pacific Stories, I’m still pinching myself, and…
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The news goes live
It’s officially official because we are telling everyone about this project, starting this week. The news is out in my newsletter and across social media. Plus we have plane tickets. Most importantly, I have my first connection. For those of you who know my work, you know that I like to start with one connection,…
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Production team members
Sarah Kester Digital EditorSarah is a digital editor and a freelance journalist based in Toronto. She graduated from the University of King’s College in Halifax – twice – where she took philosophy and creative writing before studying journalism. You can find her work in The Globe and Mail, Metro and Quill & Quire. Sarah is…
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Sponsors: Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic
Principal Sponsor Sven-Olof Lindblad, President, CEO, and Founder of Lindblad Expeditions, was born in Switzerland and traveled extensively with his father, renowned adventure-travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad, who led some of the first non-scientific groups of travelers to Galapagos (1967) and Antarctica (1966). In 1979 he launched Special Expeditions, the adventure tourism company that became Lindblad…
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Meet our photographer: Eric Guth
Eric Guth is a photographer with extensive field experience in remote and polar regions. He is a naturalist with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic and a field technician for James Balog’s Extreme Ice Survey in Antarctica as well as glacier cave research in Oregon, Washington, Patagonia, and Greenland. His portraiture spans both hemispheres, and his stories and photos…
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Meet our director: Matt Mastrantuono
Matt has been making films for over a decade. His feature film, Chasing Sarasota, had a theatrical tour in over 30 cities on four continents. Matt was also a writer and producer for the Showtime documentary, Glena, where he helped take the no-budget, indie feature from a living room in Portland, Oregon to a major…
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About Jennifer Kingsley
Jennifer Kingsley is a journalist and storyteller who specializes in the modern culture of communities around the world. She is the Field Correspondent for Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic and a National Geographic Explorer. In 2015, Jennifer founded Meet the North, a project that shares personal stories from some of the Arctic’s four million citizens. She has…
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A new chapter
This is the beginning of something new. I have been working with photographer Eric Guth for three years, but this will be the start of a new collaboration with filmmaker Matt Mastrantuono …
