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A Polar Bear Photo Adventure unlike any other!
ENQUIRE NOW FOR SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025 or BEYOND
NOTE - the village of Kaktovik & the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is currently closed to tourism due to the Covid-19 Pandemic (?!)
Join South African photographer-naturalist Daryl Balfour and our expert Alaskan polar bear & Arctic life specialist Steve Kazlowski plus Inupiat Eskimo guide Jack Kayotuk on the Beaufort Sea in the High Arctic, on this immersive journey into the realm of the polar bear, with outstanding guidance to help you capture exclusive world-class, close-up photographs of a lifetime! We hope to run this safari again in mid-September 2024.
We have reduced the size of our group from 8 in 2014 to only 4!
- Spend four full days and two half-days photographing on the tundra & on the water either by boat or exclusive-use bus
- Perfect your wildlife photo & post-processing skills with our renowned professional photographers Daryl Balfour
- Enjoy unparalleled space & freedom with only 4 guests in total - most other boats & vehicles have 6 or even 8 guests on board!
- Marvel at how close you’ll get for superb & unique low-level photos of these magnificent Ice Bears
- We have a converted school bus (see Gallery pic below) for our exclusive use when photographing on land, or venturing out at night for the Northern Lights (Aurora borealis). Most other operators cram their guests in a pick-up truck!
You won’t find another polar bear tour that promises as much proximity and time among the Kings of the Arctic, coupled with our intensive focus on helping you gain superlative photos...often from a low angle on our boat, not from 15 feet above the bears in a clumsy "tundra buggy"! With this, our new immersive Polar Bear safari, you'll start from our base in Kaktovik, Alaska, where will we head out for five days on the tundra or on the protected lagoon at the edge of the ocean, where polar bears congregate late each fall waiting for freeze-up and the winter hunting season. We will have the opportunity for both shore and boat-based photography in the heart of the bears' wild habitat. On-site assistance from our expert photographer guides is complemented by informal discussion sessions on how best to capture the wonder of Arctic wildlife, most notably the famed Barter Island polar bears, through the camera’s lens. There is also a great possibility that during our planned week in Kaktovik we will be able to see the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights - a spectacular light show in the Arctic heavens.
Polar Bears - Far From the Madding Churchill Crowds!
Two sub-adult polar bears engage in a bout of sparring during our inaugural 2014 safari
Our special Polar Bear safari is located at Kaktovik, Barter Island, in the far north of Alaska, an off-the-beaten-track polar bear destination away from the hustle & bustle of the typical Churchill tundra buggy excursions, where operators cram as many as 15, 20 or even 30 passengers into the tundra buggies. We have partnered with renowned Alaskan polar bear expert & specialist Arctic photographer Steve Kazlowski, who has been studying the bears for more than 18 years in this region, and we believe we have teamed with the best for this unique safari.
Group Size Limit: Only 4 Guests - A very important feature of this polar bear safari is the limited group size. Nature is always best experienced in smaller groups and it is particularly important on this trip so our guests have plenty space & freedom to take rare polar bear photos, often at or below the bears' eye-level or even in the water when shooting from our small & maneuverable private boat.
Included in the Fare
Return travel from Fairbanks, Alaska to Barter Island/Kaktovik, accommodations & all meals in Kaktovik, hosted by Daryl Balfour and led by expert Alaskan photographer-guide Steve Kazlowski, all taxes and service charges.
Not Included: Travel to and from Fairbanks, Alaska from your home, any accommodation you might need in Fairbanks prior to or after the safari, special boat outings to photograph the bears with our experienced Inupiat boat-captain guide - $100/hour per person, gratuities, travel insurance, & items of a personal nature.
Physical Requirements This trip requires very little to no walking, but you will need to be prepared for the extreme cold!
Group Size Limit: Only 4 Guests - A very important feature of this polar bear safari is the limited group size. Nature is always best experienced in smaller groups and it is particularly important on this trip so our guests have plenty space & freedom to take rare polar bear photos, often at or below the bears' eye-level or even in the water when shooting from our small & maneuverable private boat.
Included in the Fare
Return travel from Fairbanks, Alaska to Barter Island/Kaktovik, accommodations & all meals in Kaktovik, hosted by Daryl Balfour and led by expert Alaskan photographer-guide Steve Kazlowski, all taxes and service charges.
Not Included: Travel to and from Fairbanks, Alaska from your home, any accommodation you might need in Fairbanks prior to or after the safari, special boat outings to photograph the bears with our experienced Inupiat boat-captain guide - $100/hour per person, gratuities, travel insurance, & items of a personal nature.
Physical Requirements This trip requires very little to no walking, but you will need to be prepared for the extreme cold!
Important Info about this safari
Our Polar Bear Adventure is based in Kaktovik village on the remote Barter Island at the edge of the Beaufort Sea in the High Arctic, giving us access not only to bears but also to the culture, people and history of northern Alaska. During the 4 full days & 2 half-days spent on the tundra or water, our expert polar bear & Arctic specialist, marine biologist and expert photographer Steve Kazlowski & local Inupiat guide Jack Kayotuk will share their knowledge of the natural world around us as well as how to best capture its essence on film. Some 80 polar bears can typically be in this area before the beginning of the long Arctic winter and the highest concentration occurs in September & October. We have timed this safari for the best chance to have both bears and snow & ice for classic polar bear photography. Too early, no snow; too late, no boating! Arctic weather is perhaps the most unpredictable in the world, but we try to plan for the best possible photo experience!
Getting There & Getting Home: In case of flight or weather delays, we recommend that you arrive in Alaska a day or two early. The return to Fairbanks from Barter Island will arrive about 5-6pm on the final day of the safari. There are late-night departures from Fairbanks connecting to both Anchorage and Seattle, for onward connections. More details covering the safari, flights and hotel options will be supplied at the time of making your booking. Hotel accommodation in Fairbanks is NOT included in the safari cost. Fairbanks is also a great place for shopping for any extreme weather gear and last minute extras you may require.
COST
Please email us for 2024 rates & dates.
Deposit: A Non-Refundable deposit of 50% is required to secure your place.
THE WWF HAS ESTIMATED THAT POLAR BEARS COULD GO EXTINCT IN THE NEAR FUTURE IF GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT CHECKED. TAKE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEM WHILE YOU CAN! Enquire now for 2024...
Getting There & Getting Home: In case of flight or weather delays, we recommend that you arrive in Alaska a day or two early. The return to Fairbanks from Barter Island will arrive about 5-6pm on the final day of the safari. There are late-night departures from Fairbanks connecting to both Anchorage and Seattle, for onward connections. More details covering the safari, flights and hotel options will be supplied at the time of making your booking. Hotel accommodation in Fairbanks is NOT included in the safari cost. Fairbanks is also a great place for shopping for any extreme weather gear and last minute extras you may require.
COST
Please email us for 2024 rates & dates.
Deposit: A Non-Refundable deposit of 50% is required to secure your place.
THE WWF HAS ESTIMATED THAT POLAR BEARS COULD GO EXTINCT IN THE NEAR FUTURE IF GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT CHECKED. TAKE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEM WHILE YOU CAN! Enquire now for 2024...
