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

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 well appear in the night sky.

Join Roy Toft and Chris Linder 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. 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.

Roy, a highly regarded and widely published professional wildlife photographer and inspiring workshops instructor, already led two Visionary Wild Polar Bears Eye-to-Eye expeditions, and was blown away by the quality of the photography and the overall experience each time. Seal River Heritage Lodge is a comfortable fly-in 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, Roy 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, Roy 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

November 10 – 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 11 –  WINNIPEG – CHURCHILL – 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 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 Seal River Heritage Lodge.

Nov 12-14  – 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). Overnight at Seal River Heritage 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.

Instructors

    • Roy Toft

    • Roy Toft is one of the world's most highly accomplished wildlife photographers, in addition to being a biologist, natural-history educator, and a Senior Fellow of the International League of ...

    • Chris Linder

    • Chris Linder is an award-winning professional photographer, filmmaker, workshop leader, and lecturer. Chris earned a master’s degree in oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods ...

Gallery

Pricing

Single Occupancy $25,200

Deposit $12,600
Full $25,200

Double Occupancy $12,600

Deposit $6,300
Full $12,600

Registrations after October 19, 2018 will be contingent on available seats on the flight between Winnipeg and Seal River. Please contact us at (202) 558-9596 or info@visionarywild.com if you are interested in booking this expedition so that we can confirm availability.

Included in the package are round-trip flights (Winnipeg – Churchill – Seal River Heritage 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 $12,600 per person, 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, 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.

Highlights

  • Polar bears in their native habitat, easily approached on foot in a pristine and untrammeled wilderness setting perfect for first-rate photography.
  • Roy Toft and Chris Linder 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 birds 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 and unobstructed views of the night sky for photography of the Aurora Borealis.
  • Excellent dining, featuring the finest food and wine in the Arctic. Mealtimes will be adjusted or delayed as required to ensure maximum photo opportunities.

Accommodations

Included are round trip flights (Winnipeg – Churchill – Seal River Heritage Lodge) all lodging (double-occupancy; single supplement available), all meals, all beverages (including wine and beer with dinner), all photographic instruction and bear guiding.

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
  • 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

airplane icon
Round trip flights included from Winnipeg – Churchill – Seal River Heritage Lodge.
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Most excursions will be on foot, though we will not need to walk more than a 1/2-mile or so per day. Some excursions may be via customized open tundra wagons.
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Weather at Seal River Lodge in November is cold, but perfectly manageable with proper dress. Expect highs around 25F and lows around 0F. There is a small chance of light snow.