Wild Utah
May 3 – 11, 2024
2 Spots Left
Abundant Wildlife and Glacier Bay National Park
August 26 – September 2, 2024
Photograph Alaska’s incredible wildlife and beautiful scenery aboard our private yacht—including exclusive access to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. This is an adventure through fjords, past icebergs the size of houses, and up close to tidewater glaciers. We will spend time watching for the thunderous calving of massive glaciers. At this time of year, we can also expect to photograph humpback whales, brown bears, orcas, sea lions, harbor seals, Dall’s porpoises, bald eagles, and perhaps wolves and moose. Our yacht is one of only a few with the permits required to cruise in Glacier Bay, the crown jewel of the National Park system. We also have all the permits needed to access Alaska’s otherwise restricted federal and state lands.
On this workshop, you will learn and hone wildlife photography skills, capturing fast and slow-moving animals with ease. We will work with you on making truly compelling compositions of the wildlife and the landscape it inhabits. Each day you’ll have image review time and learn new post-processing techniques in Lightroom.
Our stabilized luxury yacht is quite comfortable. The staterooms have luxurious beds, down comforters and pillows, and individual temperature controls for heat. Each stateroom has a private bathroom with an ensuite shower. There’s a huge salon with comfortable seating, and outside you will find ample open and covered deck space for photography. Each night we will anchor in a quiet, secluded anchorage. During our days, we will have the opportunity to go on land for a hike or kayak along the tidal shore photographing birds, marine life, and even Alaskan brown bears.
The food is a highlight of every trip. Our chef selects the freshest available produce and often combines it with the freshest “catch of the day.” Gourmet meals can include king and silver salmon, halibut, Dungeness crab, Alaskan spotted shrimp, and fresh produce! Top the meal off with a homemade dessert prepared daily. If seafood is not your favorite, fear not, the chef will work with you to accommodate any diet.
Your Pro
Location
Alaska, USA
Tuition
$12,995
Dates
August 26 – September 2, 2024
Availability
1 Spot Left—FEMALE SHARING
Limited to 5 Guests
Itinerary
About the wildlife: This workshop offers significant opportunities for photographing wildlife, and while we do our best to maximize our wildlife encounters—based on past experiences, local knowledge, and the current conditions—we need to impress upon you that the wildlife really is wild and that we don’t control it.
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
August 26, 2024: Arrive in Juneau anytime this day, and take the shuttle to the hotel. We’ll meet for a group dinner to kick off our Alaskan Story!
August 27, 2024: After breakfast in the hotel, we will leave at 11:00 AM and embark on our yacht, the Alaskan Story. We will depart the harbor heading north and west around the northeast point of Admiralty Island. Much of our journey will be amongst the “ABC” islands. Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof: the fourth, fifth, and sixth largest islands in the U.S. They are the home of thousands of Alaskan brown bears, perhaps the densest concentration in the world. We will cruise south in Chatham Strait and then west through Icy Strait.
We have been awarded a high season permit to charter within the crown jewel of the United States National Parks—Glacier Bay. In Glacier Bay, we will likely see whales, mountain goats, seals, sea lions, black and brown bears, a variety of migrating waterfowl, and perhaps—if we are lucky—wolves and moose. This area also boasts more tidewater glaciers than the rest of the world. We will experience all of this beneath mountains that tower 15,000 feet in the air. The Alaskan Story is one of only five charter yachts over 50 feet allowed into the Bay during the high season of the summer. We will anchor in Bartlett Cove, where we can take a hike ashore with our naturalist and return to the Alaskan Story for dinner.
August 28, 2024: We will cruise northwest up the west arm of Glacier Bay past high rocky cliffs, where we will see mountain goats. We will watch the shores for Alaskan Brown bear. No hunting is allowed in Glacier Bay, so these majestic animals are not as afraid of humans as elsewhere in Southeast Alaska. We will cruise up Tarr Inlet watching for humpback whales and perhaps Orcas. We will stop in front of Margerie Glacier and watch for spectacular calving. We will then cruise back down the arm to North Sandy Cove, where we will see black bears and perhaps even wolves and moose.
August 29, 2024: Before exiting Glacier Bay, we will pass by the Marble Islands, observing a haul out for Steller Sea lions. Stellers are a much larger version of the California sea Lions—the males can be over 1,500 lbs! We will also see a bird rookery with thousands of gulls, cormorants, and even puffins. We will cruise east in Icy Strait, perhaps stop to fish for dinner, and then south in Chatham Strait. We will anchor in Pavlof Harbor, where the spawning salmon returning to the river will attract the brown bears fattening up for the winter. The salmon coming in towards the end of July through August is a “must-see.” If there is bear activity, we plan to go ashore to watch the bears fishing.
August 30, 2024: We will cruise south, turning west into Peril Strait, and stop for a beautiful hike up a creek with trout and spawning salmon to Lake Eva. We have a “special use” permit to enter this restricted area. We will anchor for the night somewhere near, depending on the weather.
August 31, 2024: We will cruise back into Chatham Strait, heading north. After fishing and perhaps some whale watching, we proceed up the west coast of Chichagof Island, one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, and into Tenakee Inlet. After setting the pots for Dungeness crab, we will moor at the community dock. We will walk in this quaint boardwalk village and then hike with our naturalist to a nearby river where the spawning salmon may attract more brown bears to view.
September 1, 2024: Cruising out of Tenakee Inlet and north in Chatham Strait, we will watch for orcas and humpbacks and perhaps do a little more fishing. We will anchor somewhere near Juneau.
September 2, 2024: We cruise back towards Juneau, getting our last photos today of Alaska’s beauty. You will arrive in Juneau with a new appreciation for how the earth existed before man. We’ll check in to our hotel and meet for dinner to celebrate our Alaskan Story!
September 3, 2024: Flights home from Juneau anytime today.
The Alaskan Story
Fitness
Easy: You can live on a small yacht for a week and get in and out of zodiacs and on shore. Some short walks on land.
Flights
Arrive Juneau International Airport (JNU), Juneau, Alaska anytime on August 26, 2024. Flights out can be made anytime on September 3, 2024. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
What to Bring
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
What’s Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single available for $500 supplement. (Hotel only.)
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- Tips for crew, drivers, and local guides.
- Waterproof boots for shore excursions.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from Andy Williams.
- Image reviews and post-processing instruction.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
Not Included
- Travel to and from Juneau, Alaska.
- Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
- Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic Beverages.
- Medical Evacuation Insurance (required).
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming available for $500 supplement. (Hotel only.)
Payment Terms
- Your non-refundable deposit of $4,995 will hold your space in this workshop.
- Further non-refundable payment of $4,000 is due by January 1, 2024.
- The non-refundable balance is due not later than May 1, 2024.
- In addition to our standard Terms and Conditions, for this workshop all payments are non-refundable, and this is why we recommend comprehensive travel insurance including trip cancelation.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
Testimonials
“Thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. All of the wildlife photo opportunities were wonderful. The blue ice blocks below Lamplugh glacier were particularly amazing. ”
“Marc, I was super impressed with the arrangement of the bubble netting whales...only David Attenborough can conjure those up. Seriously the photo opportunities were beyond my expectations. ”
Behind the Scenes
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