Free diving, ice camping, and wildlife photography in the Canadian High Arctic
ON THIS EXPEDITION, we’ll experience spring as only the arctic can provide it. Warming days of 18-hour light. Winter ice melting into fantastical shapes. An explosion of new life all around us. Whales surfacing in the bays, blowing out sprays of seawater. Seals sleeping in the sun, slipping between floe and water, poking noses through cracks in the ice. And polar bear mothers with cubs, famished from their long winter.
We partner with the best operator in the arctic, Polar Sea Adventures. Their long experience in the region and their commitment to excellence in everything they do make them a natural fit with Big Animals Expeditions. With expert Inuit hunters as our local guides and support team, Amos leads a maximum of four guests on the photographic journey of a lifetime (assuming you’re not a staff photographer for the BBC or National Geographic — we lead their expeditions, too).
General Itinerary
Day 1: DEPART your home city and fly to Ottawa. Stay overnight at the hotel of your choice.
Day 2: Take our First Air flight from Ottawa to Pond Inlet. Upon arrival, we’ll proceed to our Pond Inlet hotel to prepare our gear, cameras, and clothing for the expedition.
Day 3 – 13: Begin our photo “hunting” program for the next 11 days. We will be picked up as soon as we finish loading all our gear on the three snowmobiles. Weather permitting, we’ll head for our first camp, 30 – 60 miles from the village, out onto an ice floe known for its concentration of polar bear dens.
The days will be dedicated to searching for polar bears. Just like other wildlife, polar bears are most active at sunrise and sunset, and sleep during the ‘heat’ of midday (if you can call that heat).
We expect to encounter the following wildlife: polar bears with cubs, various whales, harp seals, and ring seals.
Day 14: We strike our mobile camp, pack our gear, and head back, happy and tired, to civilization. We stay in our Pond Inlet hotel for our last night in the arctic.
Day 15: DEPART Pond Inlet on First Air to Ottawa. Depending on your connecting flight, you may need to stay overnight in Ottawa.
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Tour price includes:
- Thirteen nights accommodations including all meals
- Eleven (11) days of on-the-ice activities
- All transfers, in accordance with group activities
- Two nights in Pond Inlet hotel
- Photography seminar/photo coaching by Amos Nachoum
- Only four guests
Not included in Tour Price:
- Airfare to and from Ottawa
- Roundtrip airfare between Ottawa Pond Inlet (approx. $2200)
- Overweight luggage or excess baggage
- Hotel charges in Ottawa, Day 1 and day 15
- Meals which aren’t specified
- Personal charges such as laundry, bar, and telecommunication charges
- Insurance – we strongly recommend you buy your own travel, health, and diving insurance
- Loss of dive gear and equipment
- Gratuities
Payment Policy & Deposit:
When we receive your deposit, you’ll receive confirmation. All flights and trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed.
A non-refundable deposit of $5,600 is required to secure a place on the trip.
Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure.
We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full 60 days before departure.
A refund will be made if the space can be filled in time, less unrecoverable costs of sales, administration, or special promotion.
Cancellation must be made in writing. Deposits are non-refundable if cancellation is made 180 days or less before departure.
No refunds for unused part of the itinerary.
For payment, please mail your check to:
Big Animals Expeditions
2000 Broadway, Suite #1204
San Francisco, CA 94115
A note on preparation
We’ll be in the high arctic during the summer season, but it is still very cold and freezing at times. Outside temperatures average from -10˚ to – 40˚. Bring very warm clothes: insulated hunting boots, Polartec jacket, raincoat, and windbreaker are highly recommended. Layering options of underwear are your best choice. Ski suit, ear protection, a hat, gloves, sunglasses, Vaseline or other oil-base moisturizers.
Polar Sea Adventures will provide you with a parka that is specially designed for the extreme weather conditions we are going to experience. This parka needs to be returned, of course, although you may fall in love with it.
Be sure to bring all medicines you take on a regular basis. Bring your passport and a credit card. U.S. citizens are required to have a valid passport and roundtrip air ticket.
A general note
Although we’re confident about what you’ll experience in the Arctic, we’d like to remind you that we’re in the wilderness and despite all our careful preparation, Mother Nature may not cooperate with us exactly as we’d wish. Remember, the wild animals are not on contract with us. When we’re at sea, we’re not at Sea World, and Baffin Island is not the zoo. We trust our previous experiences, and so far our record is excellent. We believe that with good planning and a realistic approach, you’ll have a wonderful time with us in the Arctic as we seek out photographic encounters with the wonderful animals of the far, far north.
All information is current as of January 2011. Dates and prices are subject to change without prior notice.
For Booking and/or further questions, please contact Amos:
Phone: (415) 923-9865
Toll free: 877-229-4253
Email: phototrips@biganimals.com
amos@biganimals.com
We look forward to your joining us on this adventure of a lifetime!
To join us, please complete the Registration Form
