Paul Gauguin Cruises & The Explorers Club

Special Guest: Jad Davenport - A member of The Explorers Club for over 20 years, Jad Davenport is a National Geographic photographer, writer, and filmmaker whose four-decade career has taken him to more than 160 countries. In addition to National Geographic, his work has also appeared in LIFE, Newsweek, Outside, GEO, Travel + Leisure, and more. An avid underwater photographer and rescue diver, Jad has captured award-winning imagery throughout the South Pacific. Before joining National Geographic Creative in 2004, he spent a decade as a war photographer and documentary filmmaker, covering global conflicts and epidemics, and volunteering with organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and NecroSearch International. A former U.S. Forest Service ranger and wildlands firefighter, he now works as a field naturalist, spending part of each year in the Canadian Arctic studying wolves and polar bears. In 2021, he launched a multi-year Hudson Bay research project on the only wolves known to hunt polar bears. Through his work, Jad blends adventure, conservation, and storytelling to inspire protection of the planet’s most remote places.

Special Guest: Dr. Emma Camp - World-leading coral biologist, explorer, and advocate dedicated to understanding and protecting the world’s oceans, Dr. Camp's work has taken her to remote reef systems across the Pacific and beyond, exploring environments where corals persist against the odds. The vibrant lagoons, outer reef slopes, and dynamic coastal systems encountered across the Cook Islands and Society Islands — such as the reef-rimmed waters of Rarotonga, the biodiverse lagoons of Aitutaki, and the iconic reefs of Bora Bora and Moorea — mirror the gradients of temperature, light, and water chemistry that shape coral resilience. These spectacular island environments provide living laboratories for understanding how local conditions influence reef survival. A member of The Explorers Club, Emma was named a 2026 Explorers Club 50 honoree recognizing her as one of "fifty people changing the world that the world needs to know about". As Team Leader of the Future Reefs Program at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, she leads interdisciplinary research into coral physiology, ecology, and resilience under climate change. A National Geographic Explorer and recipient of multiple international recognitions, including the United Nations Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals, Rolex Award for Enterprise, and WINGS Women of Discovery Award, Emma has published extensively and led more than 30 research expeditions across reef systems globally. Emma co-founded large-scale coral restoration initiatives and is working with local communities across the Indo-Pacific to share her learnings and help conserve the beauty and diversity of coral reef ecosystems. Through research, collaboration, and public engagement, she translates discoveries from extreme reefs into practical strategies to safeguard coral ecosystems for future generations. (Photo Credit: Franck Gazolla-Rolex)

Special Guest: An esteemed member of The Explorers Club will join this voyage to share onboard lectures and exploration stories with travelers. The Tuamotu Archipelago stretches out beneath an azure South Pacific sky—low-lying atolls where dazzling blue lagoons and coral reefs shape a vision of island purity. In Rangiroa, underwater treasures reveal themselves in constant motion, as multi-coloured fish, graceful rays and harmless sharks glide between lagoon and open ocean. Fakarava’s UNESCO Biosphere Marine Reserve provides a stage for a luminous ballet of fish and corals. Equally as enchanting, the Society Islands rise in stunning contrast, unfolding between tropical forests and volcanic forms: Raiatea, Polynesia’s spiritual heart steeped in ancient marae (temples); Huahine, mysterious and untamed; Motu Mahana, a private islet set in the turquoise calm of Taha’a’s lagoon; and the iconic silhouettes of Bora Bora and Moorea, their fabled lagoons and lush pitons inviting moments of quiet wonder and breathtaking awe.

Special Guest: An esteemed member of The Explorers Club will join this voyage to share onboard lectures and exploration stories with travelers. The Cook Islands reveal a more secretive face of the South Pacific, shaped by grandiose nature and an unhurried way of life. The Aitutaki lagoon, with its crystal-clear waters, invites swimming and quiet surrender to the moment, while Rarotonga’s volcanic form, lush at its core, calls to exploration—between forest-covered mountains and a vibrant underwater world. Alongside this intimate expression of island life, the Society Islands unfold in luminous contrast: Huahine, Motu Mahana off the coast of Taha’a, Bora Bora and Moorea. Scattered like jewels, they offer white-sand beaches, turquoise lagoons, living coral reefs, pearl farms and dramatic green peaks softened by cloud. A timeless journey through islands that feel both deeply rooted and enduringly radiant.

The Explorers Club was founded in New York City in 1904 by a group of the world's leading explorers of the time. It is a multidisciplinary, not-for-profit organization dedicated to scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space. It supports science research and education and has over 3,750 members around the world. In its history, the Club’s members have been responsible for an illustrious series of famous firsts: first to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the Moon. Explorers linked to the greatest discoveries, such as Neil Armstrong, Jane Goodall, Edmund Hillary, and Roald Amundsen, are among its eminent members. Infused with the spirit of discovery, this unique voyage features an esteemed member of The Explorers Club to provide onboard lectures and engaging conversations throughout your journey.