I have owned the Canon EOS R for a couple months now, but with short days and busy schedule I have not had the chance to get out and shoot (and more importantly compare it to other cameras) as much as I had hoped.  Luckily I have some time off coming up, and in addition to testing my new 400 f/2.8 III I am looking forward to spending time with the EOS R as well.

 

Great Gray Owl EOS R at ISO 6400

The first thing I will say is that I am pleasantly surprised with the performance of the EOS R.  I had previously picked up the Sony a7iii which also surprised me, and all initial reports is that the a7iii was superior.  While I have not had a chance to compare the two head-to-head, so therefore have no opinion on which is better, at the end of the day I am very happy with the EOS R, and will be keeping it over the a7iii, with the main factor being the compatibility with all my existing lenses, and I have not been happy at all with the metabones adapter.

 

Autofocus

EOS R + 500mm f/4 ISO 3200

One thing that I don’t really have a handle on yet is the autofocus and how it compares to the Canon dslr’s and the Sony a7iii.  What I will say is that I am very impressed with how quickly the EOS R acquires focus, it is like you point your camera at the subject and it’s instantly in focus.  While I have used it with Big Horn Sheep and deer running, I still cannot say how well the focus stays locked-on and tracks with the subject, and whether there is a noticeable different with other cameras.

The number of AF points and the fact that you can move them over the entire viewfinder is a nice feature, especially for framing some shots, especially because I find that the Canon DSLR’s are quite limited on the edges.  I do find however that it is a bit slower navigating across all the points, as you can sometimes get yourself way over to the side accidentally. I think it will just take some getting used to.

 

ISO Performance
I expected the ISO performance to be “okay”, but did not have high expectations.  Well this might be one of the biggest surprises.  I have taken photos consistently at ISO 3200, and even a few at ISO 6400 that I have been extremely happy with, both in respect to noise and dynamic range.

 

EOS R + 400 f/2.8L II @ ISO 3200

In Body Stabilization
This is one feature available in other mirrorless cameras that have been released recently which did NOT come with the EOS R.  While I am not super upset about it because all my lenses that I shoot have image stabilization, the one area where I did notice that it was very beneficial on the a7III was when shooting video from a moving zodiac on rough water.  For me this is not a deal breaker, just a “would have been nice”.  I have also heard that it works quite well with the Nikon Z7.  I guess this will be a feature for the next Canon mirrorless.

 

Button Placement/Menu
I can’t say that I am in love with the placement of the buttons/size.  Having small hands, I thought that this would be nice that all the buttons are closer together, but I find some can be quite awkward to get to, especially if trying to access them while shooting and looking through the eye-piece.  I do have some difficulty going back and forth from the DSRL’s and the EOS R.

 

The other thing I found hard to “pick-up” was the menu, as I was expecting it to mirror (pun intended) that of the DSLR’s. Instead Canon has a lot of embedded menus, which can make it difficult to find things, or make changes….especially without the manual and in an area without cell coverage.  For example it took me over five minutes to figure out how to change the view so that the electronic level wasn’t showing in the middle of the image (making it near impossible to see the subject).  Again, I think this is just something that will take getting used to.

 

I’m looking forward to spending more time with the camera, and also comparing it to some of the others in my possession.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected] and if you want to see a full list of features, refer to my first blog post on the EOS R which can be found here.

My Canon f/2.8L IS III has arrived, after waiting for what feels like forever…in all reality it was only a few months.  It’s arriving just in time for me to take it to Yellowstone to start testing it out.

 

My first impression was I could not believe how light the box was…I thought maybe I was getting ripped off, and the box was empty.  Un-boxing the lens and comparing it to the v2 of the 400 f/2.8 I really cannot believe how light it is.  And while the specs state that it is lighter than the 500 f/4, to me they feel about the same…which is fine by me, because I have not problem hand-holding the 500 for extended periods of time while shooting in the zodiac.   I am really wondering if I will even need to keep my 500 f/4 now, as the only reason I had it now was because it was lighter and more portable than the 400 f/2.8L  IS II.

 

With the improved image stabilization I am curious to see what shutter speeds I can shoot hand-held at, and whether or not there is any difference from version 2.  It did feel like the weight distribution was changed, but hard to say how much is true weight savings versus weight distribution to to “feel”.

 

Other than that, I have had no time to test it out, darned short days and “real job”, but I will have a week with it in Yellowstone coming up and will share my thoughts on in then.

 

For my blog post from when the 400 f/2.8L IS III was released see here.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me [email protected].

Capture One Pro 12 is now available for purchase, or download (if you are on a monthly subscription package).  


Along with an update to the general look and feel of the product, they made some really notable changes to the image editing capabilities…some which I think makes it exceed that of Lightroom. 


The most notable change in the addition of luminosity masking capabilities, where the mask will automatically be applied to the image based on a selected luminosity range. In addition to darkening super bright areas of an image, you can also apply the mask to only the darkest part of an image and therefore pull shadow detail from one that section.  This is a function that used to require some complicated actions in Photoshop, especially for image editors that are not super technical.


In addition the the luminosity masking, there are enhanced gradient masks (both linear and radial). The beauty of these masks are that unlike Photoshop is that they do not overwrite the luminosity masking…so you can do these AFTER a luminosity mask, or in conjunction with the luminosity masking. 


One further feature is the ability to copy edits from one image to another, and ignore composition edits.  While this isn’t totally relevant for wildlife and nature photographers, as we are often editing different images, this could be really handy for photojournalist or portrait photographers. 


More about the updates can be found on the Capture One Pro website. Feel free to contact me, [email protected] if you are looking for additional details on my experience with the update. 

When I first saw that Canon was releasing a new 70-200 f/2.8L IS III lens, I was excited because I thought finally an update on what I think is the oldest lens in my fleet.  I had hoped that in addition to a performance update, I would also see some weight savings, which would mean that it might find itself in my camera bag more often.

 

Well, when it came to the weight, my hopes were not fulfilled.  The new 70-200 f/2.8L lens is only SLIGHTLY lighter than the old version, like 50 grams (1490g vs. 1440g).  I haven’t had the change to weigh the actual lenses since I have picked mine up but I will say that I really do not notice any difference in weight between the lenses when the tripod foot is removed.  With the tripod foot on, there is a slight difference in weight, but certainly not the earth shattering weight difference that we are seeing with the new 400 f/2.8.

 

Snow Leopard – Calgary Zoo

I was debating whether or not to bring the lens on the Great Bear Rainforest trip, and wondered if it would feel like a duplicate because I knew I would be brining my 100-400 lens, and had weight restrictions to keep in mind.  In order to give the lens a quick test I brought it to the Calgary Zoo.  I have to admit, I was really pleasantly surprised by the results.  Since I have purchased the 100-400 a few years ago, I haven’t found that I am using the 70-200 as often, because it often doesn’t have the focal length needed for a lot of wildlife.  But reviewing my images from the zoo, it really made me consider that I should be using it more.

 

One of the zoo images included in this post was of a Snow Leopard, and considering that this image was shot through the glass, I was really surprised how sharp it was.  In addition to being shot though glass, I also shot it at only f/2.8, because the green background was really quite ugly and distracting. I was surprised that I was able to see the hairs on the snout of the Snow Leopard despite that it was shot through the glass.

 

Despite it not being much lighter than the old one, I decided to pack it along for the Great Bear Rainforest trip given the results that I had with it at the zoo, and I am really glad that I did.  The second day out shooting we were shooting in the heart of the rainforest, and because the river was not that wide, we were actually working at pretty close focal lengths.  I ended up using the 70-200 pretty much exclusively that day, at least where the “big subjects” (like bears) were concerned, and the lens did not let me down.  I found that having an f/2.8 lens greatly improved my images, given the low-light I would have constantly been battling high ISO and low shutter speeds if I had used the 100-400.

 

 

Seeking Salmon

Seeking Salmon was one of the shots that were taken with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS III USM, and was actually shot wide open, because I wanted as high of a shutter speed as possible given that I wasn’t sure if the Spirit Bear was going to pounce at a salmon (if she could find one).

 

I have not yet done head-to-head testing between the new and old 70-200, and I do not know if the slightly lighter weight and fluorine coating are worth upgrading from the old one to the new one (stay tuned for that).  I will say that if you are planning to add a 70-200 to your fleet of lenses, you will not be disappointed with the image quality achieved with the 70-200 f/2.8L IS III USM.

 

If you are debating getting this lens and have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. Or stay tuned to my recent photos and blog for more thoughts as I use the lens more, and review more of the images taken with the lens.

I got back from the Great Bear Rainforest just under a week ago and I am still fully digesting the trip, and going through the many, many, photos.  Receiving my Canon EOS R as soon as I got back has somewhat thrown a wrench into my time behind the computer…but more about that later.

 

One of the reasons that I continue to love going back to the Great Bear Rainforest, is that you never know what to expect, and honestly each year is really different.

This year some of the salmon streams in the Great Bear Rainforest were impacted by lower than usual number of salmon.  This was not just caused by a lower number of fish in the salmon run, but also due to the fact that they have had very little rain to fill the streams so that the salmon can get up them.  I think it had almost been one month without any rainfall on one particular place that we visited, according to the First Nation Guide.  Therefore it seemed like this year we had to work a little harder to see the wildlife and to photograph it.

 

We were treated to a wide variety of wildlife, from Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, a Spirit Bear, Humpback Whales, Bald Eagles, Mink, River Otters, Harbor Seals and even saw TWO Sea Otters.  Some of the highlights of the trip were when we waited along a river for quite some time without really seeing anything, and then just before we were about to leave a Spirit Bear appeared…this is a good reminder of why you should “tough it out”.

 

We also had the opportunity to spend over 45 minutes watching two young grizzlies, which we assumed were siblings, wrestling in the water.  We actually left them and they were still going at it.  We went to “check out” a bay to see if there was any activity, and there were over 18 Bald Eagles in the water itself, with a bunch more white heads dotting the trees next to the bay.  And then when we went in the zodiac to check it out, we spotted a Grizzly along the shore.

 

Finally, we topped the trip off by seeing two sea otters.  It was awesome because one was really quite far north, and further north than the skipper had ever seen.  The second one was super accommodating and provided us ample opportunity to get some really great images while she cleaned her fur.

 

We came away with some really unique experiences and I am already looking forward to going back again next year.

 

Stay tuned to my Recent Photos for new photos as I have time to edit them.  And also stay tuned to my blog for my thoughts on my new EOS R.

 

Our 2020 trip dates will be released a the beginning of next year, if you would like to get your name on the priority booking list, contact me at [email protected] for more information.

I have escaped the snow of Calgary and I am just getting ready to head back into the Great Bear Rainforest for my 5th year in a row, and to say I am excited is an understatement.

 

Under Cover

For this version of the instructional photo tour we will be taking a different route than usual, and starting in Kitimat and ending in Bella Bella.  This is a route that I have not done since 2014 (my first trip).  I am looking forward to the opportunity to seeing some areas that I have not been to in a several years, and also looking forward to checking out some of the “usual” spots.

 

And there is a reason that we do not call this trip the Spirit Bear trip, because the trip is about so much more, and encompasses all the wildlife and scenery that the Great Bear Rainforest has to offer.  Under Cover was photographed during my trip in 2017, and was taken as a Spirit Bear woke up from a nap in the woods and came back out to the water to eat some fish.  For more of the images that I have captured on my Great Bear Rainforest trips, visit the Great Bear Rainforest Gallery.

 

If you are interested in signing up for one of our future Great Bear Rainforest trips, visit my Photo Tours page for more information.  Or feel free to contact me at [email protected] for more information.

 

I am looking forward to coming back and sharing the details of the experience and some images!

I have escaped the snow of Calgary and I am just getting ready to head back into the Great Bear Rainforest for my 5th year in a row, and to say I am excited is an understatement.

 

Under Cover

For this version of the instructional photo tour we will be taking a different route than usual, and starting in Kitimat and ending in Bella Bella.  This is a route that I have not done since 2014 (my first trip).  I am looking forward to the opportunity to seeing some areas that I have not been to in a several years, and also looking forward to checking out some of the “usual” spots.

 

And there is a reason that we do not call this trip the Spirit Bear trip, because the trip is about so much more, and encompasses all the wildlife and scenery that the Great Bear Rainforest has to offer.  Under Cover was photographed during my trip in 2017, and was taken as a Spirit Bear woke up from a nap in the woods and came back out to the water to eat some fish.  For more of the images that I have captured on my Great Bear Rainforest trips, visit the Great Bear Rainforest Gallery.

 

If you are interested in signing up for one of our future Great Bear Rainforest trips, visit my Photo Tours page for more information.  Or feel free to contact me at [email protected] for more information.

 

I am looking forward to coming back and sharing the details of the experience and some images!

EOS R:

  • 30.3 megapixel
  • Full frame CMOS sensor
  • Adapter allows for using EF lenses
  • Phase detect AF
  • 5,655 selectable AF Points
  • 5 frames per second with continuous AF
  • ISO Sensitivity of 100-40000
  • Low light focusing of EV -6
  • No in body stabilization
  • Same battery as other Canon DSLRs
  • One SD Slot
  • 4k video capabilities
  • Battery life of 350 shots (EVF)
  • $2,999 CAD

Canon Announces Full Frame Mirrorless EOS R

 

Last week I posted about the recent Canon announcement that I was the most excited about, the new 400mm f/2.8.

 

I am almost as excited about the announcement of the full frame mirrorless, EOS R.  I am excited to try this out in comparison to the Sony a7iii that I recently purchased.

 

EOS R
Priced at $2,999 CAD, Canon’s first step into the full-frame mirrorless comes with a 30.3 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. An interesting feature of the EOS R is that when the camera is turned off the curtain is closed to protect the sensor against getting dust and dirt on it.  Dust on the sensor has been something that I have noticed quite often with the Sony a7iii, so I am interested to see how the “closing” of the sensor works, and whether it does keep dust off the sensor.

 

When it comes to autofocus, Canon is using a phase-detect system with 5,655 selectable points…no that is not a typo they are actually advertising over five thousand AF Points. With this many AF points, 100% of the vertical and 88% of the horizontal sensor is covered by autofocus points.  This is pretty impressive, and hopefully this is something that can be carried over to the DSLR, because this is one of my biggest frustrations with the 1DX Mark II, sometimes the points are not where I need them, especially in the low end.

 

Another feature of the EOS R that Canon has added is making the AF available for “nearly the entire image” when shooting at f/8 or f/11.  So this means that you could attach a 2x extender to an f/5.6 lens (turning it to f/11) and still have AF, something that cannot even be done with my 1dx Mark II.  I am interested to test this and see how it actually performs, and whether it is an available feature that isn’t really all that useful in practice.  I have used the 1.4x extender on the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II to see how it performed, and I found the autofocus to be incredibly slow.

 

The frame-rate is advertised as 8 frames per second. However, with closer reading that 8 frames per second is only when not using continuous AF.  When switched to continuous autofocus the frame rate decreases to 5 frames per second, and will drop to 3 frames per second if you have selected focus priority in your settings. I do not even remember what it is like to shoot wildlife with a camera at 3 frames per second.  The buffer is advertised to be 47 Raw files.

 

Low-light focusing should not be an issue with the EOS R, it has the ability to focus at EV -6, and has ISO range of 100-40000.

 

Surprisingly, and somewhat disappointing, is that the camera does not come with any in body image stabilization, a feature available in both of the competitors (Nikon z6 and Sony a7III). I am not sure what drove the decision by Canon to skip it, maybe they are trying to drive the sale of the IS lenses, and intend for all the RF lenses to be image stabilized and thought it was unnecessary.

 

For this camera Canon has created a new mount, the “RF” mount, but also has three different adapters available to use existing EF lenses with the camera.  This is a benefit over my Sony mirrorless which has a Metabones adapter that allows me to use my Canon lenses, however the autofocus is so slow that I find it is not even worth trying to use it.

 

The battery life of the EOS R has room for improvement, with life of 350 shots per charge, however that’s consistent with other full frame mirrorless cameras.  The benefit for anyone that owns another Canon camera, like the 5D Mark IV, the battery is the same, at least you do not need to bring an additional charger.  The camera only has one memory card slot, which holds an SD card, so there is no ability to record backup, or have image overflow.

 

I am really looking forward to getting my hands no my camera, which is expected to be here mid-October (of course, right after I get back from the Great Bear Rainforest). I plan to keep my Sony a7iii in order to compare the two.

 

More about the EOS R can be found on Canon’s website.  If you have questions, feel free to contact me [email protected].

Canon 400 f/2.8L IS III

  • Incredibly Light (2840g)
  • 1000g Lighter than vII
  • Improved IS – 5 stops
  • Balance Redistribution (towards back)
  • Coatings – Less Ghosting and Flaring
  • $15,799 CAD

My last blog post was asking, maybe even begging, Canon to step-up and compete the with recent Nikon announcements of a full-frame mirrorless and something that could compete with the 500 PF.  Well I guess I owe Canon a “thank you”.

 

Canon announces the release of the lightest 400 f/2.8L on the market (the 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM)

 

Before the new Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM was announced, I was talking to my sales guy at The Camera Store here in Calgary and said that unless they shaved a lot of weight off the lens, I was not going to be getting a new one (I have only had my current one for 1.5 years).  Well Canon did just that. The new version 3 of the 400mm f/2.8 weighs in at just 2840g, which over 1000g lighter than the previous version of the lens, it is an over 25% reduction in weight….this is absolutely incredible.  Needless to say the minute I saw this spec, I put my name on the list to get one.

 

Other than being incredibly lightweight, now topping Sony by being the lightest on the market (by 50g), the 400 f/2.8L III also has improved image stabilization, and now comes with 5 stops of image stabilization compared to “only” 4 stops in the 400 version 2.

 

In addition to the improved weight and image stabilization, Canon has also changed the balance on the lens so that it has more weight toward the back closer to the mount.  I am looking forward to seeing how this lens is to hand-hold.  I find with my current lens hand-holding it can be a challenge because I have to hold it so far out that it’s hard to get my arm properly braced (because I’m so small). Weight distribution and balance can be more important than just total weight, especially for hand-holding lenses…airlines won’t care though, they will just care about total weight.

Coastal

The lens comes with “Super Spectra Coating and Air Sphere Coating” which should help reduce flare and ghosting on the lens, although truthfully, it is not something that I have noticed being a real problem with the 400 version 2.  There is also some improved weather sealing and ability to use the lens at higher temperatures, however that’s not a feature I need, because it’s not like the Great Bear Rainforest ever really gets that hot.

 

As to be expected, this lens doesn’t come cheap, it is listed on Canon Canada’s website at $15,799 CAD.

 

I’m really excited to get my hands on this and compare it to the version 2 of this lens.  I’m really hoping that weight savings doesn’t translate into optical performance sacrifices, but I’m optimistic that this soon might become my new favorite lens. This image of a coastal wolf “Coastal” was photographed with the version 2 of the lens in the Khutzeymateen in 2017.

 

More about the lens can be found on Canon Canada’s website and feel free to reach out to me with any questions [email protected].

 

Stay tuned for when I get my hands on one and can start comparing it to the version 2 of the lens.

Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF

  • Incredibly light – 1,460g
  • Price $4,900 CAD
  • Weather sealed
  • Nikon’s Fluorine Coating

Nikon z7

  • 45.7MP
  • 493 AF points
  • 9 frames per second
  • Weight – 585g
  • 330 shots battery life
  • $4,700 CAD

Nikon z6

  • 24.5MP
  • 273 AF points
  • 12 frames per second
  • Weight – 585g
  • 310 shots battery life
  • $2,800 CAD

Well if you are a Nikon shooter (which I’m not!), you have noticed a couple of exciting announcements, and all I can say is “Canon – You’re Next” (PLEASE!).

 

Nikkor 500mm f/5,6 PF

The announcement that I am most excited for, at least for my Nikon friends, is the release of the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR. I have always been incredibly envious of the 300 PF whenever I have seen one on the trip, so now that Nikon has stepped it up and released a 500, I’m hoping it is a kick in the pants that Canon needs to start releasing some newer and lighter equipment.

 

The biggest surprise for me is the price tag of the 500 PF, at just under $4,900 CAD, this compares to the Canon 400 f/4 DO of over $8,800 CAD.  The price is absolutely incredible, and gives photographers (well Nikon shooters) the ability to get a longer focal range at a lower price.  Especially when compared to the Nikon 500mm f/4 at just under $13,000 CAD.

 

In addition to the lower price tag, this lens (and one of the appeals) is that it comes in at a lower weight, weighing less than half of the 500mm f/4, coming in at 1,460g (compared to 3,880 for the 500 f/4). This makes the 500 PF a great lens for photographers who travel often, and and restricted for baggage size and weight.

 

Of course, I’m not about to get too excited for Nikon shooters, or jealous, just yet because it still all hinges on image quality, but assuming it’s anything like the 300 PF, I think Nikon shooters are lucky and have one more option when it comes to lenses.

 

It also comes weather sealed and with Nikon’s Fluorine Coating, making it a capable lens for rugged shooting conditions.

 

More information on the 500 PF can be found on Nikon’s website.

 

Nikon Full Frame Mirrorless  (z7 & z6)

The next announcement that has me begging Canon to step-up is the announcement of two full-frame mirrorless cameras, which compare quite closely to the Sony a7iii and a7riii.  Both of these cameras come with a different mount, but have the ability to use an adapter to make it compatible with the existing f-mount lenses.

 

The z7 is a full frame 45.7MP camera that has 493 AF points, and shoots at 9 frames per second.  The price tag of this body is just under $4,700 CAD, and weighs in at just 585g.  It also comes equipped with video capabilities including 4k video. And one thing this camera has that the Sony’s do not, are xqd slot, but only one, which could take some getting used to for shooters used to two.  More about this camera can be found on Nikon’s website.

 

The z6 is a full frame 24.5MP camera that comes with 273 AF points, and shoots 12 frames per second.  The price tag of this body is just under $2,800 CAD and it weights 585g.  It also comes with the ability to capture 4k videos.  More about this camera can be found on Nikon’s website.

 

Two common complaints with mirrorless cameras are the autofocus, and battery life.  The battery life of the z7 is advertised to be 330 shots and the z6 slightly less at 310 shots. This battery life is much less than the Sony a7Riii at 530 shots, and the a7iii of 610 shots.  For the autofocus, I am curious at how closely it will match that of the full frame dslr cameras, based on the technical specs, it has many of the similar AF Area Modes as the DSLR’s but we will see how well it functions.

 

Hopefully in the not too distant future I am excitedly writing and gushing about the new releases from Canon (hopefully!).  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me [email protected].

The first week of August we had the opportunity to spend a week on a sailboat exploring the coast of British Columbia from the Johnstone Strait to the Northern tip of Vancouver Island. What I enjoy about this trip is that each section of the ocean we explore seems to bring a different photographic opportunity, and we never knew what to expect.


This is the third time I have been on this trip, and this year it provided many different highlights than the previous two trips.

 

Of course a staple of visiting this area, is the opportunity to photograph the Orcas (both resident and transients) that travel these waters.  We had a few days where we were able to photograph them, with the highlight being when there was a triple breach of three different orcas in succession.  But besides the photographs it is always just amazing to be around such magnificent creatures (and ones that I don’t have the chance to see everyday living in Alberta).

 

 

Pigging Out

Another highlights of the trip were the Sea Otters.  Not only are Sea Otters adorable, but this year they provided us with a great deal of variety in the photographic opportunities.  We were able to capture them wrapped in kelp, moms with pups, gathering and eating sea urchins, and even a brief attempt at mating.  It doesn’t matter how many times I see Sea Otters, they still give me the “awww” factor, and I get bored.

 

We also had a great time attempting to photograph both Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, and Dall’s Porpoises as they rode the bow of the sailboat, it is incredible how fast they are able to move.

 

In addition to the above we also had many Sea Lions, Humpback Whales, Harbour Seals, Bald Eagles, and Black Oystercatchers.

 

There was certainly no shortage of wildlife variety on this trip, and there was hardly a dull moment.  This trip continues to rank up there with one of my favourite trips that we offer.

 

There are still two spots available next year, and a priority booking list for 2020. Feel free to contact me [email protected] for more information about this trip.

The first week of August we had the opportunity to spend a week on a sailboat exploring the coast of British Columbia from the Johnstone Strait to the Northern tip of Vancouver Island. What I enjoy about this trip is that each section of the ocean we explore seems to bring a different photographic opportunity, and we never knew what to expect.


This is the third time I have been on this trip, and this year it provided many different highlights than the previous two trips.

 

Of course a staple of visiting this area, is the opportunity to photograph the Orcas (both resident and transients) that travel these waters.  We had a few days where we were able to photograph them, with the highlight being when there was a triple breach of three different orcas in succession.  But besides the photographs it is always just amazing to be around such magnificent creatures (and ones that I don’t have the chance to see everyday living in Alberta).

 

 

Pigging Out

Another highlights of the trip were the Sea Otters.  Not only are Sea Otters adorable, but this year they provided us with a great deal of variety in the photographic opportunities.  We were able to capture them wrapped in kelp, moms with pups, gathering and eating sea urchins, and even a brief attempt at mating.  It doesn’t matter how many times I see Sea Otters, they still give me the “awww” factor, and I get bored.

 

We also had a great time attempting to photograph both Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, and Dall’s Porpoises as they rode the bow of the sailboat, it is incredible how fast they are able to move.

 

In addition to the above we also had many Sea Lions, Humpback Whales, Harbour Seals, Bald Eagles, and Black Oystercatchers.

 

There was certainly no shortage of wildlife variety on this trip, and there was hardly a dull moment.  This trip continues to rank up there with one of my favourite trips that we offer.

 

There are still two spots available next year, and a priority booking list for 2020. Feel free to contact me [email protected] for more information about this trip.