Lindblad Expeditions has reported a surge in quarterly profit that lifted the New York expedition cruiseship owner past analyst predictions.

The company reported net income of $10.5m during the period, up from $6.9m for the first quarter of 2015. Earnings per share of $0.23 was better than the average analyst bet of $0.20.

"The company delivered solid results in the first quarter, driven by the strong performance of the fleet.