Todd Smith, visionary founder of AdventureSmith Explorations, is leading the way in sustainable travel.

It is not an easy task to find companies, cruise lines, tour operators, and hospitality organizations willing to step into the spotlight to talk about their sustainability plans. While compiling my roundup of sustainability leaders, I ran across Todd Smith.

At the helm of AdventureSmith Expeditions, Todd Smith

Expedition Cruises & Wilderness Adventures

Todd Smith from AdventureSmith Explorations offers what he calls “a new style of adventure travel,” which combines small vessels, expert guides and sustainable practices to experience nature and wildlife up-close.

His cruises and tours consist of specially outfitted yachts, small ships and wilderness lodges that serve for naturalists to lead small group explorations into the wilderness.

Smith is a fan of small ship cruise experiences off-the-beaten path, away from crowds allowing his guests a chance to connect with nature and the local community.

When asked about sustainable practices in the cruise industry, Smith points out that that “small ships have always been inherently low impact.” Adding that , “as a closed system that does not visit port regularly, small ships need to be efficient with resources and minimize waste.”

Because of space limitations, Smith and I discussed the challenges that small ships have in terms of space, which naturally leads to creative ways to reduce and reuse products. Smith also noted that small ships are are more likely to employ local people and purchase local commodities than their big ship cousins.

Small ships, little impact

Smith points out that many small ships have taken this concept further to enhance guest experience and further reduce environmental impact.

Island Spirit in Alaska is outfitted with a bank of solar and generator charged batteries that allow them to shut off generators at night allowing guests to experience Alaskan solitude.

Several boats in the Galapagos have achieved certification from Smart Voyager which considers rigorous environmental and social standards to decrease impact and ensure benefits to local populations.

Award-winning

• 2005 Outside Magazine Best Trips of the Year
• 2006 National Geographic Traveler – 50 Tours of a Lifetime
• 2007 Conde Nast World Saver Award – Conservation
• 2008 National Geographic Adventure – Best Travel Companies on Earth
• 2011 Travel Age West Trendsetter Award

Get connected

To learn more about AdventureSmith Explorations, check out their website and make sure to “like” them on Facebook.

• www.facebook.com/AdventureSmithExplorations
• www.youtube.com/user/AdventureSmithTravel
• BLOG www.adventurecruisenews.com

Read more about sustainable travel from CruiseBuzz.net

• Sustainable Tourism: cruising and beyond. – Recap

Looking to capture those “wild animals” while on a cruise vacation?

To help celebrate the #FriFotos theme for today, I am on the hunt to find a couple of cruise itineraries where one might encounter some animals…

The obvious choice for our first destination is Alaska

What types of animals will you see on a cruise to ALASKA?

Did you know:  Katmai National Park has a platform at Brooks Falls to view the 100-some grizzly bears that fish for salmon here. The wolves also fish here. Have you been?

On Safari with Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines is famous for a lot of things, towel animals being at the top of the list.

Head to the Galapagos Islands for an expedition trip

Adventure cruises on small-ship expeditions to the Galapagos and land extensions in Ecuador and Peru are a great way to connect with the animals.  Galapagos marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and  sea lion pups standing by.

Antarctica Anyone?

Cruisers visitng the Antarctic may see  penguins going about their day or humpback whales feeding and swimming about.

Water. Glorious Water.

Water, water, everywhere. Check out some of our photos for #FriFotos, the weekly photo sharing event on Twitter.

Earth’s ocean is made up of more than 20 seas and four oceans: Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Pacific, the oldest and the largest.

Pacific Ocean, Long Beach with Holland America Line

• There are 328,000,000 cubic miles of seawater on earth, covering approximately 71 percent of earth’s surface.

Catalina Island, Pacific Ocean

Glacier National Park photo by Jessicafm

• About 97 percent of all water on earth is in our oceans, 2 percent is frozen in our ice caps and glaciers, less than 0.3 percent is carried in the atmosphere in the form of clouds, rain, and snow. All of our inland seas, lakes and channels combined add up to only 0.02 percent of earth’s water.

Antarctica cruise photo by Scott Wilson

• The Antarctic Ice Sheet is almost twice the size of the United States.

The continent of Antarctica, remote and beautiful, is unlike any other place on earth.  There are no native people or resident government, and little economic activity.  However, there is stunning scenery provided by 14 million square miles of frozen wilderness, including vast snow fields, pure white peaks and blue-tinted icebergs rising from a dark blue sea.  There is also a glorious abundance of penguins, seals, whales and other wildlife rarely seen outside a zoo.

To cruise to Antarctica, it helps to be equipped with a love of nature and a sense of adventure.  If you would like to visit to this strange and beautiful place, here are some things you should know

At the height of the Antarctic cruise season, there can be more than 20 hours of daylight each day.  Temperatures may rise as high as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, though night-time temperatures often dip near zero.

Most cruises to the Antarctic take place during the Antarctic summer, from November to March.  The ice pack that surrounds the continent in winter recedes during these months, making exploration of the shoreline a bit easier.  Still, cruise ships are at the mercy of the very changeable weather.  Sudden squalls can cause a ship to forgo a planned landing.  The potential for extreme weather is simply a part of the unique Antarctic experience.

If you cruise from mid-December through January, you may see penguin chicks emerging from their eggs or seal pups at play.  Whale sightings are usually at their best during February and March.

Ships of a variety of sizes sail to Antarctica, but in general the smaller ships are better able to navigate close to shore.  Some ships sail the waters around Antarctica, taking in the scenery but not making any landings.  Others make landings at various science stations, giving guests a chance to walk on the Antarctic ice.

All of the ships that visit Antarctica are built especially to handle icy conditions.  While the ships are sturdy and comfortable and have space to socialize, you’re not likely to find glittery nightclubs or elegant casinos.  Instead, Antarctic experts will be on board to provide information about various aspects of the continent’s fascinating history and environment.

A cruise to Antarctica definitely offers the excitement of visiting a special place where not many have gone before.  If a cruise to the end of the earth appeals to your sense of adventure, talk with Cruise Buzz from Cruise Holidays of Mission Viejo.

This is a real winner for adventure travelers-  from Lindblad and National Geogrphic