Polar Bears - Eye to Eye
Overview
TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR PRIOR POLAR BEAR GUESTS:
I have to say that was the best trip ever!!!!! So many great photos and a really great group. I would love to go back, but I think the mark that was set would be hard to beat. –J. Furber
Loved our polar bear trip. Many thanks for putting together such a great trip. Am very pleased with my pictures and still trying to decide which ones to cull out. –J. Allen
Back from the shores of Hudson Bay on a polar bear photo safari with lots of images. Great adventure with expert assistance from Visionary Wild. The experience of a lifetime! –K. Cochran
Picture yourself standing on arctic tundra at the edge of Hudson Bay, photographing a pair of polar bears wrestling in the glow of sunset as they wait for the bay to freeze over so they can begin their annual hunting season on the ice. An arctic fox watches the action from the sidelines. The only sounds are the bears, the breeze, and waves lapping at the ice forming on the shoreline. Then imagine, as the light fades and temperatures drop, you walk just a few feet away to sit beside the fire in a cozy wilderness lodge, joining your fellow photographers for a glass of wine while reviewing the day’s photographs, in anticipation of a gourmet dinner and excited conversation about the opportunities that await tomorrow. Keep your camera ready, though… the aurora borealis may fill the night sky.
Join Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom at Seal River Heritage Lodge, a remote wilderness lodge positioned in prime polar bear territory on the shores of Hudson Bay about 40 miles north of Churchill, Manitoba. This is a very special opportunity to intensively photograph polar bear behavior close-up in the wild – in our experience, it is the single most reliable and productive location on Earth for polar bear photography. Forget the diesel-belching tundra buggies at Churchill; our small group will photograph the bears from eye level, on foot, via short excursions onto the tundra and from the grounds of the lodge, where polar bears walk within inches of the fence line.
Seal River Heritage Lodge is a very comfortable fly-in wilderness lodge that offers unique access to a high density of polar bears with a lovely landscape backdrop. To ensure you make the most of your visit, Frans and Chris will provide highly attentive, thoughtful, and generous instruction throughout the trip, offering feedback and useful guidance drawn from their decades of experience as professional nature photographers. They will provide recommendations on camera setup optimized for wildlife photography, teach strategies and techniques to empower you to anticipate and capture fleeting wildlife behaviors, offer advice on composition and working the available light and weather conditions for best effect, and more. In the evening, Frans and Chris will provide feedback and constructive critique of your images to ensure that the quality of your work improves significantly over the course of the trip.
Itinerary
October 29 – Arrival day in Winnipeg: Fly into Winnipeg International Airport (YWG) (See “Scheduling Travel below). After collecting your luggage at baggage claim, exit the airport through the arrivals exit and to your right across Wellington Avenue is The Grand Hotel, where we will gather in the restaurant for an introductory dinner at 7:00 pm.
October 30 – Fly to Churchill and Seal River Heritage Lodge: We depart for the airport to catch an early morning Calm Air Airlines flight to Churchill, Manitoba. After arrival in Churchill, we will be transferred by aircraft to the Arctic’s most exclusive fly-in only eco-lodge, Seal River Heritage Lodge. Upon your arrival, our hosts will provide a tour of the lodge and get you settled into your room. A thorough orientation on traveling in polar bear country will be provided prior to any outings. Then it’s time to grab our gear and head out for our first excursion!
October 31 – November 2 – Seal River Heritage Lodge: We will be in the heart of polar bear country, with stunning snow and ice backdrops of the sea and landscapes surrounding the lodge, spending significant time in the field getting up close and personal to the Arctic wildlife. The location also enjoys an exceptional number of clear nights for northern lights photography.
Our meal service times will be adjusted to accommodate photo opportunities which are the priority, so meals may be interrupted at times in response to what’s going on outside. Breakfast is generally served at 8:00 am, lunch as required; with appetizers at 6:00 pm followed by dinner at 7:00 pm. Evenings will be spent near the fireplace downloading images, sharing the day’s adventures, or taking in an informative lecture or slide show. Bedtime is at your leisure. If the night watchman spots a dazzling display of northern lights, be prepared for a wakeup call (optional).
November 3 – Back to Churchill and Winnipeg: After another hearty breakfast it’s time to pack for the flight back to Churchill, say good-byes and snap a few more pictures. After another exciting aerial tour, we arrive in Churchill where your bags will be stored for you until our flight back to Winnipeg later in the day. We are then free to explore this frontier community. Points of interest include Cape Merry, the Port of Churchill, the Eskimo Museum, as well as the Parks Canada exhibit. After flying to Winnipeg in the afternoon, we will transfer to The Grand Hotel for our final group dinner and overnight.
November 4 – Catch flights for home: Breakfast, and then we say farewell and safe travels.
Scheduling Travel
As it will not be possible to catch up with the group after our flight departs for Churchill and Seal River Heritage Lodge on the morning of October 30, we recommend that guests arrive in Winnipeg by late morning on October 29, or consider arriving on October 28, to allow additional time in case of inbound flight or baggage delays. We will be happy to assist in making hotel reservations for extra nights, although guests are responsible for any additional expenses.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is also important to be aware that weather conditions do from time to time delay the flights to and from Churchill and Seal River Heritage Lodge. Though delays are usually brief (and in some cases a few hours, or a day), it is possible that delays could delay arrival into Churchill or departure from the Lodge by a day or more. As a result, we strongly recommend obtaining of travel insurance that provides full coverage for the cost of your trip in the event of trip cancellation, as well as travel interruption or delays that may impact your arrival or departure from this expedition. We also strong recommend the purchase of emergency medical and evacuation insurance.
Instructors
Frans Lanting
- FRANS LANTING has been hailed as one of the great nature photographers of our time. His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world. Born in ...
Chris Eckstrom
- Christine Eckstrom is a writer, editor, and videographer whose ...
Gallery
Pricing
Due to the limited number of guest rooms and beds at Seal River Heritage Lodge (its eight rooms sleep a maximum of sixteen guests), and the fact that their operating season is relatively short, the single supplement is 100% of the double-occupancy price. We will be happy to help pair up individual participants who wish to share a room. We will do our best to pair roommates of the same sex, but due to the limited number of rooms we cannot guarantee this.
Payment Schedule
- 50% due at time of booking to confirm reservation
- Balance due July 31, 2019
Click here to view our payment, cancellation, and refund policies.
INCLUDED
- Round-trip flights (Winnipeg – Churchill – Seal River Heritage Lodge)
- 2 nights’ lodging in Winnipeg (Oct 29 and Nov 3) and 4 nights at Seal River Heritage Lodge
- All meals and beverages from dinner on October 29 to breakfast on November 4
- Photographic instruction and bear guiding
- Partial gratuities
- Canadian tax
Highlights
- Polar bears in their native habitat, easily approached on foot in a pristine and untrammeled wilderness setting perfect for first-rate photography.
- Frans Lanting and Chris Eckstrom draw upon their combined decades of experience as professional nature photographers to provide insightful guidance, recommendations, and feedback.
- Constructive critique of your images to ensure that the quality of your work improves significantly over the course of the trip.
- Wildly rugged and remote – the conditions in November at this coastal tundra location enable us to dedicate full days in the field getting up close and personal with Arctic wildlife.
- Excellent photo opportunities for other Arctic wildlife, including ptarmigan and arctic fox.
- Exclusive use of Seal River Heritage Lodge. Positioned on Hudson Bay, it experiences a surprising number of clear days and nights, delivering great light by day, and unobstructed views of the night sky for photography of the Aurora Borealis.
- Excellent dining, featuring the finest food and wine in the Canadian Arctic. Mealtimes will be adjusted or delayed as required to ensure maximum photo opportunities.
Accommodations
Seal River Heritage Lodge
- Authentic wilderness lodge style with all the comforts of home
- Expansive picture windows to maximize ground level viewing
- Spectacular coastal view of Hudson Bay while hiking, dining or relaxing.
- A viewing tower to take in the expansive tundra landscape and its wild inhabitants
- Fenced outdoor yard with large raised viewing platforms
- Cozy common area with fireplace for evening wind down
- Eight guest rooms, each with their own ensuite washrooms
- Full service meals
- Electricity 24 hours a day, every day
- Natural gas and wood heat
- Library with maps
- Gift Shop
- Radio/Telephone
Inbound and outbound accommodations are provided at The Grand Hotel at Winnipeg International Airport
Travel
