Beluga Whale Photography

Fly to Yellowknife, the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories and spend the night at the Explorer Hotel.

After breakfast, depart Yellowknife on a private charter for the 3-hour flight to Arctic Watch. Guests will land in the Arctic later that afternoon. After an introduction to the lodge and the surrounding landscape by the Arctic Watch team, guests will have time to settle into their cabins. Before dinner is served, a short hike up to the local mountain is offered; breathtaking views of the Northwest Passage and ice formations on the Arctic ocean. Spend time with your guide that evening, as you prepare your camera gear for the adventure. 

ATVs are the most practical mode of mobility on the tundra for covering lengthy distances. Attend an all-terrain vehicle demonstration followed by a short drive to the Cunningham Estuary to see beluga whales. During the months of July and August, two to three thousand whales visit the gin-clear waters of Cunningham Inlet. The beluga whales come to Cunningham Inlet to moult in the warm waters of the Cunningham River while nursing and socializing. This is an important rest point for these beluga whales throughout their annual voyage. Spend the day at the Cunningham River's mouth, watching and photographing mothers and their young playing in the shallow freshwater.

Daily excursions led by our team at Arctic Watch focus on observing, photographing and encountering the belugas in Cunningham Inlet. Guests are provided the best opportunities to photograph unique moments as we observe the social behaviors between mothers and their young, adults, juveniles and family social structures within the herd. Guests are welcome to bring handheld and drone based photographic equipment (under the guidance of our team to ensure we don't disturb any whales). 

By now, guests are familiar with the area, and can opt to do an activity that they missed during the week or would like to repeat. There’s lots of time before the flight departs in the late afternoon. Upon arriving in Yellowknife you will spend the night at the Explorer Hotel before your return flight home.

Depart Yellowknife for the return flight home..

In the wild and unpredictable Arctic the weather patterns and wildlife can disrupt even the best-laid plans. Therefore all of our itineraries are marked as ‘suggested’. Daily excursions are planned based on guest desires, abilities and interests as well as daily wildlife and weather conditions.