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Arctic and AlaskaReserve early! Our trips fill fast. To reserve your space, follow the instructions in each itinerary. Alaska's Prince William Sound and Copper River
May 2 to 14, 2009 In early May, the tidal flats of the Copper River Delta sparkle with hundreds of thousands of shorebirds as they rest and refuel during their phenomenal spring migration. The 700,000 acre Delta is a collage of many shallow ponds, inter-tidal sloughs, and braided glacial streams. Cordova, our home base for the first three days, is nestled peacefully at the head of Orca Inlet in Prince William Sound, surrounded with glacier-carved mountains, wildlife-rich wetlands, lush forests, and countless waterways. We will make daily excursions throughout the delta to watch the massive flocks, providing fantastic opportunities for both bird watchers and photographers. We will then board our boat, the Discovery, at the Cordova dock and begin an amazing week-long voyage into the prized seacoast region of Prince William Sound. We will enjoy a great deal of flexibility as the factors of weather, interests, photographic opportunities and regional wildlife activity influence each day. On-board kayaks provide a great way of getting close to our surroundings and observing marine mammals and birds from water level. Return to top Alaska North to South - Arctic to Prince William Sound
June 14 to July 2, 2009 June June 7 to July 24, 2010 Experience a slice of primetime Alaska, starting on the North Slope in Prudhoe Bay and continuing south to Prince William Sound. We have the opportunity of seeing everything that makes Alaska famous - all varieties of birds from shorebirds to raptors, Brown Bear, Caribou, Muskoxen, Moose, plus colorful tundra and beautiful glacier covered mountains. Our tour begins at Prudhoe Bay where we seek wildlife that make their home here during the brief summer season. Next we drive up and over the Brooks Range, stopping to scan the landscape for animals and to picnic among the spectacular views of the wildflower carpeted tundra. Continuing south past the Arctic Circle, we cross the mighty Yukon River and continue through the White Mountains to Fairbanks. Denali National Park is our next destination, where we spend three days in the best park in North America for viewing wildlife and wildflowers at this time of year. We then drive to Anchorage and embark on our boat, the Discovery, and strike out on a route around Prince William Sound that maximizes our marine wildlife and bird viewing. We will visit some of the most spectacular glacial scenery in the Northern Hemisphere and take excursions on shore to hike and view wildlife and scenery up close. Afterwards, we fly from Anchorage bound for famous Katmai National Park where we will spend our last three days observing high concentrations of Brown Bears fishing for salmon. Return to top Alaska's Arctic - Northern Lights and Polar Bears
September 1 to 11, 2009 August 31 to September 10, 2010 The focus of this trip will be to spend nights observing and photographing the mysterious and beautiful aurora borealis and days exploring and photographing the magnificent scenery and wildlife of the Brooks Range and the Arctic coastal plain. This time of year was chosen because the northern lights peak in activity near the equinoxes, and Polar Bears can be found in and around Kaktovik in September. In addition, winter is on the way, but temperatures are still moderate enough to allow for photography and wildlife viewing. Days are long enough to provide light for photography, while nights are also long enough for aurora to be observed. Even though it is early September, weather can be winter-like and temperatures could range significantly. Instruction on winter and Arctic wildlife photography, as well as aurora photography, will be provided through out the trip. Return to top Svalbard Islands in the Norwegian Arctic
July 15 to 29, 2011 Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago extending from 74 degrees to almost 82 degrees north, within 500 nautical miles of the north pole. Of about 200 islands, the largest is Spitsbergen and this is where our expedition will start after a flight in from mainland Norway. We'll board our ship and spend the following eleven days traveling these arctic waters among wildlife and icebergs. In the sea ice we'll keep a sharp eye out for Polar Bears stalking seals. We'll encounter Walrus, Bearded Seal, and possibly Ringed, Harp and Hooded seals. We'll also be scanning the oceans for Belugas and other rare arctic whales. At this time of year the sun will never set allowing for endless possibilities for spectacular photography during our entire voyage. And as most of Svalbard is now protected, we will get to explore amazing cliffs covered in nesting bird colonies, in fact, some of the most dense in the Northern Hemisphere where kittiwakes and several species of alcids breed by the thousands. By zodiac we'll venture along the fjords and inlands where we'll see large colonies of Pink-footed, Barnacle and Brant geese, along with Common and King Eider, Long-Tailed Duck. On land we'll also see Arctic Fox and Svalbard Reindeer (an endemic subspecies!), Ivory Gull, Svalbard Ptarmigan and Snow Bunting. Return to top
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