Alaska Brown (aka "Grizzly") Bear & Puffin Photo Safari 2024

Alaska Brown (aka "Grizzly") Bear & Puffin Photo Safari 2024

July 10-17, 2024 Open to family, friends, and previous clients.

2023 was an amazing year!

Crimp was out and about with two Spring cubs, and the Old Sow also had a pair that were very comfortable around us. 

It seems like just yesterday, but 2024 will be my 25th year returning to the Cook Inlet in Alaska to photograph America's most spectacular animals.

Spending a week [6 nights, giving us 5 full and two partial shooting days for the second session -- longer than other trips to the area] with Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears, often called Grizzlies, is truly a life-changing experience. Unlike the bears at Brooks Lodge in Katmai, which are stressed out and offer very limited viewing, we'll be able to see bears in their native and un-stressed environment.

One day the bears will be grazing on the nutrient rich grass and the next they'll be up to their shoulder digging in the mud for clams. Without question these are my favorite weeks of the year.

We're guests of an exclusive small lodge -- the unique Silver Salmon Creek Lodge -- catering to small groups and accessible only by plane, and the bears are right in the area, so our shooting opportunities are maximized.

To get a better feel for what you'll be able to see and capture, here are

Then--as difficult as it is to tear ourselves away from the bears--we'll take boat trips out to photograph both Tufted and Horned Puffins. This is truly a special treat, as we will be there about the only time of year that there are bears and perching Puffins to photograph. We'll have ample opportunity to work on both flight shots of the Puffins and "posed" shots from our tripods of them standing outside their burrows or returning from their fishing trips.

I'll be shooting with you the entire week. The trip is limited to six photographers, so we'll have plenty of time to work together. Each evening we'll talk about the next day's shooting and cover shooting strategies for making the most of it. We'll also review our shooting each day and discuss what worked and didn't work. I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. I can't guarantee that you'll get world class images, but I'll work to make sure you have the best possible chance!

And of course we'll have plenty of exotic Alaskan scenery to photograph. From brilliant sunrises to eye-popping Lupin and Fireweed fields on the mountains there will be something for everyone. We'll also almost certainly get some chances to photograph Bald Eagles and a variety of other birds. If we're lucky, on our way to the Puffin rookery we'll get to photograph a sea otter, like this one that's been hanging out there for several years.

Both film & digital shooters are welcome. If you need help selecting or renting equipment, let us know and we can assist you. All participants will also receive a detailed package with plenty of information on how to prepare, what to bring, and how to safely photograph the bears and puffins.

Top of the line Pro Instruction!

Wildlife Photo Instruction: All participants will have plenty of 1-1 personal instruction time while we're in the field on game drives. We'll also have focused sessions on taking great scenics, including panoramas.

A typical day involves plenty of relaxed interactions with the famous Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears like this mother and cubs clamming.

Optional fishing opportunities:

If you've had your fill of photography, we're in one of the world's foremost Salmon fishing spots. Yards from the Lodge is world class Salmon fishing and at low tide the beach has an abundance of Razor Clams to dig for. Clamming and fishing also provide some excellent opportunities for bear photography, so you'll always want to have a camera along

Trip Information:

We'll be at the Lodge from July 11th to 17th (after arrival in Alaska on the 9th or 10th) . Accommodations will be at the world class Silver Salmon Creek Lodge with three home-cooked meals each day (the lodge features a chef and a baker, and seldom has more than fifteen guests) and nice rooms. Since we're right in the middle of the bear rich coastal plain we couldn't be any closer to the bears, so we'll have all the time we want to photograph them. The Lodge has a boat and captain who will take us out to a Seabird Rookery featuring Common Murres, Horned and Tufted Puffins and Kittiwakes, as well as Auklets and Oystercatchers.

Bald Eagles are seen almost continually, and we can often get fairly good shots of them. We should also have some great opportunities both weeks to photograph clamming bears. Last year we even saw a pair of clamming Ravens--something very new and truly unusual. For non-shooting spouses or companions there are a range of other activities at the lodge, ranging from enjoying the spectacular views of the Cook Inlet to world-class Salmon and Halibut fishing as well as kayaking and boat tours of a nearby lake--which featured a nesting pair of Loons with young this year.

Day-by-Day Itinerary:

Pre-trip: Meet for dinner in Anchorage.

Day 1: Morning private charter flight from convenient Lake Hood field (next to Anchorage Airport) directly to Lake Clark Park near our lodge. Weather permitting, we'll be there in time for lunch and an afternoon (and optional evening) shoot. We're likely to start seeing bears from the time we land, so be ready!

Days 2-6: 5 full days of wildlife experience, including as much bear viewing and photography as we wisth, along with a boat trip on the lodge's own custom-built "photo-friendly" boat to visit the Puffin, Common Murre & Kittiwake rookeries. We'll also be able to explore Silver Salmon Lakes using the Lodge's custom made boat. We'll likely see multiple Beaver dens, swans, a variety of birds, and a surprise or two. July gives us nearly unlimited outdoor hours, with the brightest times mid-day providing some optional down time (or time taking a walk, doing some impromptu fishing, or just relaxing).

Day 7: After breakfast we'll pack up and head back to Anchorage, reversing our charter flight from the beginning of our trip.

Price for 2024: $7495 per person -- double occupancy, and include photo instruction, all food, lodging at Silver Salmon Creek, wine, beer, and requested soft drinks, boat trips & professional guiding once at the Lodge, and transportation (air charter) from Anchorage to and from the Lodge. Note: Hotel room in Anchorage for the first night is on your own, or we can book it for you and pass along the additional cost.

To acquire about availability or to Sign-up, give us a call at (650) 851-8350!. Your spot will be confirmed upon receipt of a $2400 deposit. Due to the unique nature of the trip, the deposit is generally non-refundable.

For more information:
E-mail: safaris [at] cardinalphoto.com
or Call +1.650.851.8350

IMPORTANT NOTE About Cancellation Policy and trip Insurance: http://www.cardinalphoto.com/site/insurance.htm