Natural Wonders of the Seychelles & East Africa

With John Fitzpatrick, Director Emeritus of Cornell Lab of Ornithology aboard the New Elegant Small Cruise Ship DIANA

HOST AND LECTURER

John “Fitz” Fitzpatrick is an ornithologist and watercolor artist born in 1951 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard University (1974) and his Ph.D. from Princeton University (1978). During 1978-1989, he was Curator of Birds and Chairman of Zoology at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, studying the ecology of South American birds, when he led numerous expeditions to eastern Peru, including the discovery of seven bird species new to science.

From 1988 to 1995, he was Executive Director of Archbold Biological Station, a private ecological institute in central Florida that manages over 20,000 acres, including pristine native habitat and a working cattle ranch. At Archbold, Fitzpatrick led a 50+ year collaborative study of the ecology, behavior, genomics, and conservation of the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay.

As Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (1995-2021), Fitz oversaw the development of the Lab into a world-renowned center for ornithology, bioacoustics, conservation media, conservation biology, and citizen science. He has authored more than 160 scientific papers and co-authored four books, including a leading college-level ornithology textbook. Together with colleagues at the Cornell Lab, Fitzpatrick co-invented eBird, now the world’s largest citizen-science project and a global standard for ecological monitoring, and fostered the development of Merlin, today’s leading mobile app for identifying birds by sight or sound. He also established Birds of the World as the premier online encyclopedia of the world’s 11,000+ bird species and Bird Academy, an online portal for lifetime learners interested in birds and natural history.

Fitzpatrick’s honors in science and conservation include awards from the American Ornithological Society, The Nature Conservancy, Linnean Society of New York, National Audubon Society, and Princeton University. He has served as President of the American Ornithological Society (2000–2002), on the Board of Governors of The Nature Conservancy (1995-2006), as a Trustee of the National Audubon Society (1995–2001), and on three U.S. Endangered Species Recovery Teams. In 2020, he was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Fitzpatrick lives with his wife, Molly, on a forested hillside in Ithaca, NY, and winters near the Atlantic Coast in Vero Beach, FL.

Giant tortise, Aldabra Islands

White Tern © Tony Palliser, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Macaulay Library

Spice market, Zanzibar 

Blue cabbage leather coral, Pemba Island, Tanzania

ITINERARY

Saturday, October 18, 2025
VICTORIA/MAHÉ, Seychelles
After breakfast at the hotel, travel to Le Jardin Du Roi, a spice garden near the southern tip of Mahé, where the air is filled with aromas of vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon and where we are reminded that the Seychelles were once at the very center of the spice trade. Returning to Victoria, visit the excellent National Museum of History, with particularly informative exhibits on Creole culture, and explore the National Botanical Gardens, home to palms, fruit trees, and other characteristic flora. After a relaxing lunch and some time at leisure, transfer to the harbor and embark Diana. (B,L,D)

Monday, October 20
AT SEA
Enjoy a day at sea learning from John Fitzpatrick and expert naturalists. Sample the many amenities of Diana. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, October 21
FARQUHAR ATOLL
The largest and most southerly atoll of the Seychelles, Farquhar is a recognized important birding area. Surrounded by ten islands, the large, shallow lagoon with its network of channels is fringed by powder-white beaches and coconut trees supporting large colonies of Sooty, Roseate, and Black-naped Terns as well as Red-footed Boobies (including its globally rare White-tailed Brown Morph) and with luck, the ghostly elegant White Tern. While gold-dust geckos and coconut crabs favor shallow rock-pools, the saltwater flats team with Napoleon wrasse and several species of grouper making Farquhar a magnet for fly fishing activities. Recent conservation efforts have rescued and released giant tortoises and begun monitoring of nesting green sea turtles. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, October 22
COSMOLEDO ATOLL
Cosmoledo Atoll is comprised of thirteen uninhabited islands surrounding a circular lagoon with channels, mangroves, white sand flats, dunes, and raised coral reefs. This remote and rarely visited group offers an ideal nesting location for rare and endemic species not found elsewhere in the Seychelles. The atoll is home to endemic Sunbirds, Turtle Doves, Cisticola, and large populations of Masked and Red-footed Boobies, Sooty Terns, and significant numbers of the distinctive Crab Plover. Green and Hawksbill turtles thrive in the lagoon and nest along its sandy beaches while a network of channels is home to bonefish, milkfish, Indo-Pacific permit, triggerfish, bluefin trevally, and others. (B,L,D)

Thursday, October 23
ALDABRA ATOLL
Today we call at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aldabra, situated in the very heart of the Seychelles Archipelago. It is one of the last virtually untouched sanctuaries on earth—Sir David Attenborough has called it “one of the wonders of the world”—and home to the world’s largest population (over 100,000) of giant tortoises. The vast atoll, comprising four small reef islands separated by narrow passes into an emerald-water lagoon, hosts hundreds of flowering plant and fern species, as well as endemic Aldabra Drongos and Pink Flamingos. With luck, we could spot scavenging White-throated Rails, a remarkable, flightless subspecies of a volant rail widespread in Madagascar, and the only flightless bird remaining in the Indian Ocean following centuries of exploitation plus introduction of rats and cats. We spend two days in this remarkable environment, swimming, snorkeling, and simply enjoying being surrounded by the beauty of the largest raised coral reef in the world. (B,L,D)

Friday, October 24
ALDABRA/ASSUMPTION ISLAND
In the early afternoon of our second day in Aldabra, we call briefly at nearby Assumption Island. This tiny (4.5 square miles) islet was nearly destroyed in the early 20th century when its vegetation was cleared to allow for guano mining. But much of Jacques Cousteau’s The Silent World was filmed on its still robust coral reefs, teeming with life.

Note: Weather permitting, enjoy swimming and snorkeling at all the islands we will visit in the Seychelles. (B,L,D)

Sunday, October 26
ZANZIBAR, Tanzania
This morning offers the choice of two excursions. You may join a walking safari in the Jozani-Chwaka National Park (home to more than 200 species of birds) followed by a visit to a local spice farm. Or you may choose a snorkeling excursion off the beach at lovely Pungume Island. Participants in both excursions will gather for lunch in Stone Town, Zanzibar’s historic center, before enjoying a walking tour of its narrow winding streets permeated with the scent of spice and lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. A highlight of the tour will be the Old Fort, built by Omanis when they drove out the Portuguese in 1698. (B,L,D)

Monday, October 27
PEMBA ISLAND
On Pemba Island, as on Zanzibar, there will be a choice of excursions. Those interested in snorkeling will take a local boat to Misali Island, where a morning of exploration among vibrantly colored corals teeming with marine life is followed by lunch and time at leisure. Terrestrial wildlife enthusiasts will travel to Ngezi Forest, a lush tropical reserve that is a haven for grazing blue duiker (small antelope), and the Pemba flying fox, and also home to at least 40 species of birds, including the African Fish-eagle, the largest eagle in sub-Saharan Africa with a wingspan of 6.5 feet. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, October 28
LAMU, Kenya
The Old Town of Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. Once an important center of trade, its architecture is a fascinating blend of Bantu, Arab, Persian, Indian, and European motifs. Clusters of ornate, well-preserved buildings built from coral stone and mangrove timber and decorated with intricately carved wooden doors and arcaded facades line the maze of narrow streets. The Lamu Museum offers an excellent introduction to the island’s rich history, and the affiliated Lamu Fort, built by Omanis in the early 19th century and used by the British as a prison, is now a library housing one of the best collections of Swahili poetry in Kenya. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, October 29
MOMBASA/DISEMBARK
After breakfast aboard, disembark and transfer to the airport for flights homeward. (B)

All accommodations aboard DIANA are spacious staterooms and balcony suites, elegantly decorated and designed for comfort. They feature:

● Outside-facing rooms with stunning sea views.
● Queen-size bed (convertible to two twin beds).
● Spacious bathroom for added convenience.
● Mini-refrigerator for personal refreshments.
● Secure in-room safe for valuables.
● Ample closet space for storage needs.
● Climate control for personalized comfort.
● Telephone for onboard communication.
● TV with entertainment options.
● Wi-Fi access for staying connected.
● USB connections for easy device charging.
● Additional thoughtful amenities for an enhanced stay.