A cruise offering from Smithsonian Journeys and PONANT
Immerse yourself in a magnificent realm of ice on an unforgettable journey to Antarctica, and encounter astonishing wildlife—from thousands of penguins to breaching whales—on excursions with our naturalists.
Antarctica: The White Continent
Aboard the 264-guest L'Austral
12 days from $12,960
A cruise offering from Smithsonian Journeys and PONANT
Immerse yourself in a magnificent realm of ice on an unforgettable journey to Antarctica, and encounter astonishing wildlife—from thousands of penguins to breaching whales—on excursions with our naturalists.
Experts
Dyan deNapoli
Dyan deNapoli is a noted penguin expert, TED speaker, and award-winning author. After co-managing the penguin colony at Boston’s prestigious New England Aquarium for nine years, she founded her educational company, The Penguin Lady, in 2005 to teach both children and adults about penguin biology, behavior, and conservation.
During her aquarium tenure, Dyan helped manage the groundbreaking rescue of 40,000 penguins from the Treasure oil spill in South Africa. Her book about that experience for adults, The Great Penguin Rescue, is the recipient of several literary awards. Her first book about penguin biology and behavior for children, All About Penguins, was released to rave reviews in 2020.
A 30-year veteran of public speaking, Dyan is a frequent guest expert on conference stages, podcasts, TV, and radio, including for CNN and the BBC. She has given five TEDx talks, and wrote and narrated a popular video about penguin conservation for TED-Ed (the educational branch of TED). Her talks for the TED platform have been viewed more than one million times.
Dyan has spoken to audiences worldwide, including on four previous voyages to Antarctica. It should come as no surprise that Antarctica is her favorite place on the planet! She is excited to share her knowledge and passion for both the penguins and the place with her fellow travelers.
Jim Preston
Jim is an accomplished public affairs specialist with more than 20-years of experience as a photojournalist, photo editor, designer, and director.
His professional career began as a U.S. Navy photojournalist working with the Blue Angels and All Hands Magazine.
He began a career in newspapers as a photographer at The Denver Post, becoming the Director of Photography after five years. He has also worked as a photographer and photo editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer; Photo Director at the Houston Post; Assistant Managing Editor of Photography at The Sun in Baltimore; and Director of Photography at The Cape Cod Times.
Jim served as the Deputy Director/Senior Photo Editor for the White House Photo Department for the final three years of President Obama's administration, assisting in the daily editing of the visual historical record of the President.
He is presently the Supervising Photographer for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and plans to retire in 2024, with plans to travel with his wife, Janet Constable Preston.