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Regarded as the father of ecotourism, Lars-Eric was literally the first travel company owner to take travelers where only scientists had gone—the first to take citizen explorers to many destinations, including Antarctica and Galápagos, in 1966 and 1967, respectively.

By believing that educated people who saw things with their own eyes would be a potent force for the preservation of the places they visited, he made his notions a powerful force for the good of conservation and restoration projects worldwide.

Lars-Eric was a real—as well as symbolic—father, and since 1979 his son, Sven-Olof Lindblad, has expanded his legacy by providing transformative travel experiences in the world’s most remarkable places.

50 years of expedition adventure 
Sven Lindblad maintains his father’s legacy, and his own appetite for finding new ways to experience existing places is unlimited. He continues to introduce guests to the inexhaustible wonders of Antarctica. In addition, under his leadership we:

• Increased the size of our owned and chartered fleet to 13 ships
• Deepened our commitment to Galápagos by basing two ships there year-round
• Pioneered travel to the High Arctic, and now send National Geographic Explorer to diverse sectors of the Arctic every summer season
• Pioneered expeditions to Baja California’s Sea of Cortez and to Costa Rica and Panama, and established seasons in each geography
• Created the most innovative and in-depth expedition program in Alaska
• Added expeditions into history and culture to flank our wildness expeditions: including to Greece & Turkey, Vietnam & Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand
• Pioneered the epic expedition—in-depth and ambitious voyages into natural and human history, including:
• The Heart of the Arctic: 26 days from Norway to Greenland via Scotland, the Faroes and Iceland (April 2012);
• Patagonia: 22 days exploring Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia, including Tierra del Fuego (October 2013);
• West Africa: a 37-day, 16 country odyssey from South Africa to Morocco
• Epic South America: 38 days from Trinidad to Buenos Aires, including the Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequibo Rivers, the colonial coast of Brazil, plus Rio, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires (September 2013)

In addition, Sven Lindblad has added groundbreaking programs to our expeditions. He added kayaking to our activities in polar regions and in Galápagos, where it was previously impossible, and subsequently on all our expeditions to enable personal, water-level encounters with beauty and wildness. 

 An undersea program to reveal the ocean’s mysteries. A wellness program to enhance the "tonic of wildness" benefit our expeditions provide. And Expedition Photography to give our guests the benefit of professional inspiration, instruction and assistance while aboard.

And, he has continued a significant element of his father’s legacy: he has increased the company’s commitment to conservation and field science. See About Us to learn what we’re involved in.