Secrets of the Penguins, which is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, is led by director of photography, producer, and National Geographer explorer Bertie Gregory. He started filming the series in Galápagos, and joked that the cold water acclimatization “spoiled me,” as he hung out in the tropics with the sea turtles. Soon after he was traveling to colder climates like Antarctica to follow emperor penguins in often treacherous and potentially dangerous conditions. However as the production packed up for various locales, the efforts of the Ecuadorian people and natives of Galápagos stuck with Gregory.
“[Galápagos] is set up with this ethos and this mantra that wildlife has value both intrinsically and of course economically it’s an amazing model for how we should be treating nature.”
We got to see it firsthand as Den of Geek was invited to experience the islands through National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions on an expedition cruise that toured islands like San Cristobal, where Charles Darwin famously first landed in Galápagos, and the seahorse shaped Isabela, the largest island formed by the fusion of six shield volcanoes. It was off Isabela where I caught my only peek at those elusive Galápagos penguins during a deep sea-snorkeling excursion. After adjusting my snorkeling mask above water, I dunked down only to lock eyes with a sea turtle, then whipped my head around underwater and two penguins darted past me like torpedoes. I failed to spot another penguin the rest of the trip, though my subpar deep-sea swimming skills could be to blame.
Being flanked underwater by those penguins was fleeting but unforgettable. When we spoke with Gregory on the vessel via Zoom, after watching a special premiere of the docuseries’ three episodes, he was in awe that we spotted penguins after mere days, when it took their crew weeks to corral suitable footage for the show. For our group of press and general public aboard the expedition, a major part of what made the journey special was the expertise on board that not only helped us spot wildlife, but contextualized their relationship to breathtaking habitats that surrounded them, from land iguanas of various sizes, textures, and colors at Urbina Bay to the lush forest of the highlands on Puerto Ayora, where great giant tortoises roam.
Lindblad Expeditions’ relationship to the island dates back to 1967, when the company’s founder, Lars-Eric Lindblad, led the first voyage to the islands for international travelers. Through their partnership with National Geographic, the expertise only deepened. Aboard the ship, National Geographic certified photo instructors helped arm guests with the best practices to capture shots of the blue-footed boobies or sea lions flopping around the beaches.
The naturalists, almost exclusively from Ecuador or Galápagos, made themselves readily available day or night to answer questions pertaining to the wildlife, environment, or conservation. They have immense pride in the creatures on these islands and take seriously the efforts to protect them. When you disembark the expedition vessel on zodiac boats, all groups of no more than 16 people must have at least one naturalist with them at all times.
