When Lars-Eric Lindblad set out with the first groups of expedition travelers in the late 1950’s, he was following his passion to discover unknown places and to share the unique cultural and environmental aspects of these places with others. These first adventure travel expeditions led many to define him as the father of “eco-tourism.” Lindblad Travel was founded by Mr. Lars-Eric Lindblad in the year 1958 in New York. In 1979, Sven Lindblad founded Special Expeditions as a division of Lindblad Travel, enabling the company to further its mission of offering innovative and educational travel expeditions that were primarily marine focused. Offerings expanded to Costa Rica, Alaska and Baja California, providing travelers with opportunities to explore, with small and nimble ships, the islands, coves and open spaces of the sea that reminded Lindblad of the remote and vast expanse of the Serengetti plains. The company’s name was later changed to Lindblad Expeditions. The mission of Lindblad Expeditions early on was simple enough — to bring travelers to regions that inspired them and eventually, helped to shape their thinking about protecting these unique places. Today, their belief is that business and conservation go hand in hand, providing real value to our guests, to the local communities where we operate, and to our business in the long term. As travelers, local stewards of a place, or businesses operating in these places, Sven Lindblad runs his business with the approach that as travelers to these places, we are all stakeholders in the success of these magical places. The benefit comes from linking all of the efforts to preserve, and in some cases, repair, these wild and wondrous places.