Your Itinerary

1New York City, NY
Sail beneath the iconic Brooklyn Bridge on the way to Long Island Sound, where we'll discover little known archipelagos along the northern shores. Watch for birdlife while exploring the many islands of Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, and encounter some of the world's largest common tern colonies on Great Gull Island. Go whale watching, and dive into local history in the charming towns and outlying islands of Cape Cod.

2Cruising the Connecticut Shore Islands / Outer Island
In the morning, we wake up amongst the many islands of Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. In the morning, we launch our zodiacs for our first landing of our expedition. With nesting birds including ospreys, gray catbirds, and yellow warblers.

3New London / Mystic Seaport / Great Gull Island
Venturing a short way upriver, we arrive at New London where we disembark and explore the largest maritime museum in the world at Mystic Seaport. At Great Gull Island, our zodiacs take us close to nesting seabirds including common terns and the pink hued roseate terns. The largest breeding populations of these two species in the Western Hemisphere are here at Great Gull Island. At the island, we learn about the research projects lasting over 50 years.

4Plum Island
Today we will pick up a local conservation specialist from the Nature Conservancy who will be with us as we cruise around Plum Island. They'll speak with us about their ongoing efforts to save this 840-acre island from going on the auction block and being developed. The island is a haven for wildlife.

5Penikese Island, MA / Woods Hole
Today, we make the first of several stops in Massachusetts waters. The fascinating tales of little known Penikese Island, part of Elizabeth Island archipelago, come alive. As we dine on lunch onboard we make our way to Woods Hole, the quiet, Cape Cod town that is home to one of the leading marine laboratories in the world- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Here we are fortunate to take a behind the scenes tour of this top facility.

6Monomoy Island National Wildlife Refuge / Chatham
An extremely important stop for migratory shorebirds, Monomoy will be a hotbed of activity this time of year with numerous species. Off Chatham, we are joined by Atlantic White Shark Conservancy staff to learn about the apex predator's return to Cape Cod waters and to watch for great whites that frequent the area from June to October.

7Provincetown / Stellwagen Bank
Choose to tour the many galleries in town, with its thriving community of artists. OR opt to explore the Cape Cod National Seashore farther south.

8Boston, MA / Disembark
This morning, National Geographic Sea Lion sails into Boston, where we disembark and transfer to the airport for flights home.