Lindblad Expeditions And National Geographic Digital Media Partner To Release Scenic Hi-Def Footage

Rare Footage Includes Images from Arctic to Erupting Volcanoes

WASHINGTON (Dec. 5, 2005)-- National Geographic Digital Media (which includes the former National Geographic Film Library) announced today that its digital archive will expand greatly, thanks to National Geographic’s recent alliance with Lindblad Expeditions. Now, Lindblad’s rare, high-definition footage from the company’s fleet of six ships operating in remote and pristine environments around the globe will be available through the National Geographic digital archive.

While expeditions are taking place weekly in regions such as Antarctica, Baja California or the South Pacific, Lindblad photography staff is capturing rare wildlife sightings, underwater marine life and natural phenomena like last month’s eruption of Sierra Negra in the Galapagos Islands. Hi-def footage taken within close range of the erupting volcano captured spewing molten lava. Previous voyages have filmed untouched landscapes in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as other breathtaking locales around the globe.

“At any given moment, our fleet of six ships is exploring remote and pristine corners of the world -- from the Galápagos Islands and Antarctica, to the South Pacific, Alaska or Baja California,” commented Sven Lindblad, founder and president of Lindblad Expeditions. “The caliber of our naturalists and experts, combined with our unique point of view (up close in a zodiac or kayak), means our eyes are documenting events constantly -- like last month’s eruption of the Sierra Negra volcano in the Galápagos.”

Jocelyn Shearer, director of worldwide digital footage sales, National Geographic Digital Media, said, “The footage that Lindblad Expeditions has provided is phenomenal. We are pleased to add this material to our collection and we look forward to working closely with them in the future, providing shoot lists based on their itineraries. But, of course, some of the best material comes from extraordinary events or wildlife behaviors they simply happen upon by virtue of being in wonderfully remote locations.”

National Geographic’s Digital Media Group offers a vast array of media elements in high-definition and standard formats, and includes raw footage, short programming, long programming, scientific experiments, interviews, lectures, news, history and cultural materials to traditional media licensees, as well as to online, mobile, computer and video game developers and other new and emerging technologies.

This new deal builds on a multifaceted alliance between National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions that includes expedition travel aboard the ship National Geographic Endeavour and the new television series “Wild Chronicles,” which premiered this fall on PBS. “Wild Chronicles” is a collaboration among Lindblad Expeditions, the World Wildlife Fund, WLIW New York and National Geographic Mission Programs, the science and education arm of the National Geographic Society.


About National Geographic Digital Media

National Geographic Digital Media (formerly the National Geographic Film Library and the Nationalgeographic.com organizations) distributes digital content globally to the education, mobile, video game, stock footage and broadband markets, and through nationalgeographic.com. Digital Media is responsible for National Geographic’s archive and repository for all film and videotape material produced by National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F). It also represents footage from National Film Board of Canada, World Bank, ZDF Enterprises, WPA Film Library, ABC Australia and the White House Historical Association in select territories. Its fully catalogued, searchable database is available online at www.ngtlibrary.com. National Geographic Digital Media is a division of National Geographic Ventures, a wholly owned, taxable subsidiary of the National Geographic Society.


About Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions was founded in 1979, originally as a division of Lindblad Travel, which was founded in 1958 by Lars-Eric Lindblad, the pioneer of expedition travel. Lindblad operates a fleet of six ships in regions such as Galápagos, Antarctica, Arctic Norway, Alaska and Baja California, to name a few. The company is known for its commitment to sustainable tourism and is the recipient of many environmental awards, including the Condé Nast Traveler Ecotourism Award (2002) and the ASTA/Smithsonian Magazine Environmental Award (1993). Sven Lindblad is a member of the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galápagos Islands. He serves on the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund and the board of directors of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation for Nature. He is a founding member of the Galápagos Conservation Fund and is a recipient of the United Nations Environmental Programme Global 500 Award (2001).

Contact Information

Caryn Davidson

National Geographic Society

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