LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF ALASKAN EXPLORATION

*Free Air on Select May & June Departures*

 For the past three decades, Lindblad Expeditions has used its nimble, intimate ships, outstanding expedition team and vast experience and connections in the region to unlock the magic of Alaska like no other cruise line can. Now they are adding a brand new dimension that will literally take travelers deeper into the Alaska experience than they have ever gone before.

Welcome to the ultimate Alaska expedition, a thrilling Alaskan adventure and exploration that will give guests a truly comprehensive window into the sights, sounds and creatures found on majestic glaciers, old-growth forests and now, for the first time - under the sea.

In keeping with their reputation for and history of Alaskan trailblazing, the new undersea program will commemorate Lindblad’s 30^th year exploring in Alaska by sharing a part of the region they have never shared with guests before. Featured on each Alaska expedition, the Undersea Specialist will dive to depths of 40-80 feet, employing strong lights and an HD camera to capture the secret world that lurks just beneath where passengers are sailing. These discoveries will be shared in special presentations that showcase the entire breadth of the ocean’s intricate and interconnected food chains, from the tiniest organisms on the sea floor to giant octopi, to hulking sea lions to the whales that passengers see majestically breaching the surface or regularly hear vocalizing over the ship’s PA thanks to a state-of-the-art deployable hydrophone.

The addition of an Undersea Specialist to a remarkable Expedition Team that features three Naturalists, an Expedition Leader and a Lindblad-National Geographic Certified Photo Instructor to help guests capture the remarkable sights in true National Geographic style, further enhances the most robust expedition team working in Alaska.

Lindblad Expeditions’ Alaska program includes the 8-day Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness and 12-day Alaska, British Columbia and San Juan Islands itineraries from May through September, 2012 on the National Geographic Sea Bird and the National Geographic Sea Lion. It begins with the ships themselves, intimate vessels that hold 62-guests and easily find passage into areas no other ships can travel. Add in a variety of special kayak and Zodiac excursions that take you even deeper into the wild Alaska at its very wildest, including up-close-and-personal encounters with sea lions, soaring eagles and feeding humpback whales. The guests enjoy special privileges to Tongass National Forest under a Forest Service Special Use Permit, and the expertise of a Tlingit Interpreter aboard in Glacier Bay National Park to add more layers to the intriguing landscape.

Book Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness by March 31, 2012 and receive free roundtrip air between Seattle and Alaska on select May and June departures. Rates for Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness begin at $5,990 per person based on double occupancy for a Category 1 cabin, and $7,690 for Alaska, British Columbia and San Juan Islands.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's adventure cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.