Lindblad Expeditions is best known for small-ship cruises that explore the natural world with ships displaying the name of longtime partner National Geographic. With its latest acquisition, CEO Natalya Leahy wants travel advisors to know there's more to explore on land with Lindblad.
The company earlier this month acquired a 60% stake in White Desert, a bespoke tour operator known for its luxury camping experience in Antarctica. The deal also includes a 60% stake in Echo Charlie, a provider of adventures on a restored Douglas DC-3 propeller airplane. Lindblad paid $67 million for both companies, its largest acquisition to date.
There have been other acquisitions over the past decade, such as Natural Habitat Adventures, offering wildlife itineraries and up-close nature encounters; luxury cycling operator DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.; and safari specialist Wineland-Thomson Adventures.
The White Desert acquisition, however, is different because Lindblad and White Desert both share deep experience in Antarctica. Lindblad's expertise was developed by Sven-Olof Lindblad, the company's longtime CEO whom Leahy succeeded in 2025. His father, Lars-Eric Lindblad, brought the first group of tourists to Antarctica in 1966. Polar expeditions are a core Lindblad product today.
Leahy said Lindblad has an "amazing, unique portfolio of brands, and travel partners don't work as closely with our land brands yet." She hopes the White Desert and Echo Charlie acquisitions "highlight to all of our partners that we are not just a maritime company."
White Desert's product
Talking about her stay at a White Desert camp, Leahy said, "The whole experience is as close to outer space as I could see. The place is obviously majestic and beautiful, and that vastness and power of interior Antarctica is unbelievable."
Guests can see baby penguins on a White Desert itinerary. Photo Credit: White Desert
The man behind White Desert is Patrick Woodhead, an adventurer who is no stranger to pushing boundaries. He is credited with completing the fastest horizontal coast-to-coast crossing of Greenland, according to Guinness World Records. He will remain involved as chairman of White Desert and CEO of Echo Charlie, and will join Lindblad Expeditions as strategic innovation advisor.
Leahy said what Woodhead has built in Antarctica is "out of this world." She said his camps "look amazingly futuristic and are as luxurious and comfortable as you could imagine being in the most remote place in the world."
One of the camps was designed to mimic an outer-space outpost, inspired by a conversation Woodhead had with astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
What advisors think
Camping in luxury in one of the most isolated corners of the world doesn't come cheap. Nothing offered by White Desert is below five figures, and some itineraries soar past $100,000 per person. It's the priciest offering among all Lindblad-owned companies, Leahy said.
Sheila Gallant-Halloran, an expedition travel specialist who owns Lush Life Travel, called White Desert "a very different Antarctica experience: flying guests into the continent and operating luxury camps on the ice."
She added, "Lindblad has traditionally been extraordinarily strong at expedition travel by sea. Bringing White Desert into the family potentially gives Lindblad another way to serve travelers who want to go deeper into a destination."
Jesse Taylor, a cruise specialist and travel designer with Taylor Elite Travel, said that White Desert's ultraluxury product can't be replicated -- one camp has an ice movie theater.
He said Lindblad's Antarctica cruisers could be intrigued by White Desert's land-based Antarctica experience. He thinks Lindblad's resources and name could bring more awareness to White Desert, building its brand recognition and introducing the product to luxury travelers. But, he cautioned, White Desert offers exclusivity, which he says should be maintained.
"A big part of the appeal of White Desert is that it is not mainstream Antarctica," he said. "From what I've seen so far, it sounds like that is exactly what they intend to preserve, which is important."
When asked if Lindblad could pair its itineraries with a White Desert or Echo Charlie product, Leahy said it was too soon to say. Leahy did say that a plan for another White Desert camp is in the works, with details forthcoming. And she hinted that new itineraries for Echo Charlie could soon be released.
"Can there be some combination? I think it's too early to talk about it," Leahy said. "That's why we have Patrick on our innovation council; we will be working together. There could be something cool. I would stay tuned."