Overview

TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR 2015 and 2016 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

Big thanks for the special expertise of our fabulous professional photographers!  They were always there to help, provide tips and give one on one consultations. It was so surprising to see so many large polar bears close to each other and sparring, and it was extra special to watch the wolf on the ice. Nanuk Lodge is full of wow experiences. The bear guides were skilled, experienced, knew the animals behaviors, and were very safe.  To be able to freely walk with wild polar bears is something we will cherish. And the cuisine was amazing. The fresh vegetables, delicious wild rice, spices, baked goods and more. Every meal was truly a superb gourmet treat! Thanks to you very very much for a great trip! –J. Pace.

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 – reserved for our group’s use only – 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 well appear in the night sky.

Join Frans Lanting, Chris Eckstrom, and Justin Black at Nanuk, a remote wilderness lodge positioned in prime polar bear territory on the shores of Hudson Bay east of the mouth of the Nelson River in Manitoba. This is a very special opportunity to intensively photograph polar bear behavior close-up in the wild. 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. This area is unusual in also enjoying excellent sightings of wolves, and it’s also one of the few places on Earth where polar bears and black bears can be seen together.

Nanuk is a very comfortable, recently renovated and upgraded fly-in lodge that offers unique access to a high density of polar bears with a lovely coastal landscape backdrop. To ensure you make the most of your visit, Frans, Chris, and Justin will provide highly attentive, thoughtful, and generous instruction throughout the trip, offering feedback and useful guidance drawn from their combined four 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, Chris, and Justin 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.

Included in the package are round-trip flights (Winnipeg – Churchill – Nanuk Lodge), all lodging, all meals, all beverages, all photographic instruction and bear guiding, partial gratuities, and Canadian tax. Though most Visionary Wild workshops and expeditions are packaged and priced as single-occupancy by default, this workshop is packaged as double-occupancy at $12,675 per person, due to the limited number of guest rooms and beds at Nanuk Lodge, and the fact that their operating season is relatively short, which makes the cost for a room for one person exactly double the double-occupancy price. We will be happy to help pair up individual participants of the same gender who wish to share a room, but we can certainly accommodate those who wish to book single-occupancy rooms.

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ITINERARY

November 9 – ARRIVAL DAY IN WINNIPEG

Fly into Winnipeg International Airport (YWG). 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. Overnight in Winnipeg.

Nov 10 –  WINNIPEG – CHURCHILL – NANUK 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 DeHaviland Turbo Otter aircraft to Nanuk Lodge. This exciting flight takes us out over the historic Churchill River, and then southeast along the rugged Hudson Bay coast over a landscape that is home to healthy populations of caribou, seals, wolves and of course the great “Ice Bears.” Upon your arrival, our hosts will provide a tour of the lodge and get you settled into your room. A thorough orientation on travelling 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! Overnight at Nanuk Lodge.

Nov 11-14  – NANUK LODGE

Nanuk Lodge is in a wildly rugged and remote location that rewards the dedicated wildlife photographer willing to respond to opportunity and spend significant time in the field getting up close and personal to the Arctic wildlife. We will be in the heart of polar bear country, with stunning snow and ice backdrops of the sea and landscapes surrounding the lodge. 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). Overnight at Nanuk Lodge.

Nov 15  – 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. Overnight in Winnipeg.

Nov 16  – CATCH FLIGHTS FOR HOME

Breakfast, and then we say farewell and safe travels.