Eagle Show Uncertainty Our primary reason for visiting Campbell River was the famous Eagle Show. While in the Khutzeymateen, we received an email saying the operator could not run our tour and offered to transfer us to another vendor. We had chosen this company specifically for their boat: enclosed with good outdoor space rather than […]
Preparing for the Ferry from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy This time we did it right. The night before departure we stopped at Safeway and picked up a picnic lunch. In the morning we added coffee and doughnuts from Tim Horton’s before heading to the terminal. We were number four on the waitlist for […]
Getting to the Khutzeymateen from Prince Rupert After three days in Prince Rupert, it was finally time to depart for the Khutzeymateen. Trips leave from the commercial dock, with check-in at 7:15 a.m. for a 7:45 a.m. departure We grabbed coffee and doughnuts from Tim Horton’s before heading down. It was pouring rain, but the […]
Early Start for a Photography Adventure Still buzzing from our Triangle Island trip, we had no time to rest. The itinerary had originally allowed for a break day, but with the rescheduled Triangle Island trip we were up late backing up our memory cards and back at adventuring the next morning by 6:30 a.m. This […]
Driving from Nanaimo to Port McNeill on Vancouver Island After an in-room coffee courtesy of the Yeti, we set off around 9 a.m. for Port McNeill, on the far north of Vancouver Island. At just over four hours, it was one of the longest drives of our trip. It might have made more sense to […]
This trip wasn’t about ticking off a long list of wildlife sightings or firing off thousands of frames. It was about chasing Arctic light, slowing down, and experiencing one of the most remote, surreal landscapes on Earth. Svalbard Pre-Trip I’m so glad we arrived in Svalbard a few days before our expedition. It gave us […]
Svalbard’s remote and icy landscapes are home to a surprisingly rich bird community. Some were graceful, while others seemed almost clumsy. Birds of Svalbard Glaucous Gull Glaucous gulls are one of the most common seabirds in Svalbard — but I love any bird that is in focus and well lit. Ivory Gull The Ivory Gull […]
In 2025, Norway introduced stricter regulations on viewing polar bears in Svalbard, aimed at protecting the animals from unnecessary disturbance. The new rules require visitors to stay at least 500 meters away from polar bears between March 1 and June 30, and 300 meters from July 1 to February 28. While I completely support protecting […]
We were at the front of the ship photographing a walrus when, out of nowhere, a minke whale sighting! It surfaced right in front of the bow. We heard the explosive exhale first, then saw its head break the surface — so close I could barely react. I pointed frantically but the only thing that […]
My first bearded seal sighting was pure luck — and honestly, a little accidental. I was on the wrong side of the ship, scanning for a walrus, when a seal popped its head up out of the water. I assumed it was the walrus I was looking for, but later, when reviewing my photos, I […]