sea wolf
photo tours
EYE TO EYE WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
Great photos require unique angles, locations, and exciting subject matter. Having guided many professional photographers/filmmakers and Blue-chip Productions over the years, we understand the our clients needs, and take the time to allow you to get the shots you envision.
These private photography tours are geared towards wildlife photographers and filmmakers, but we often take nature enthusiasts as well. Seaforth Expeditions puts significant effort into getting know the wildlife we encounter and their habits within the environments we find them. This allows us to put you in locations with the highest cinematic and photographic value.
Being on land is often the best way to get in tune with nature and connect with the wildlife who’s home we will share, however we remain flexible in our operations to ensure we deliver the best possible opportunities. This could mean camping ashore, using blinds or boats to access a variety of locations. Early mornings and late nights are to be expected as we optimize every opportunity.
We anticipate seeing many of Coastal BC’s most magnificent creatures and we have the skill, local knowledge, and a network in place to make sure you are in the best possible place.
Sea Wolf Tours
trips geared towards finding and photographing the elusive sea wolf, AND GETTING YOU IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
These genetically distinct wolves are uniquely adapted to a life foraging along the seashore and the region we will explore offers some very special photographic opportunities. White sand beaches, rugged headlands dappled with windswept trees, and lush coastal forest serves as the backdrop on this tour.
Expectations
Getting to see a sea wolf is typically a very special chance encounter that very few people get to have. Photographing coastal wolves takes patience, local knowledge, a network, and the willingness to dedicate yourself to the goal. These tours are designed to maximize your chances of being in the right place at the right time, with like-minded photographers. We use a zodiac style boat to maintain a small profile and access secluded beaches, and estuaries, or camp ashore and travel by foot. Our methods vary depending on where we find the highest activity. Breakfast will often take place after our early morning sessions and sometimes we will pack a picnic lunch. Afternoon naps are permitted.
Fitness: A good level of fitness is required for these tours. You should be able to carry your camera gear up to 2 kilometres, usually on bouldery/sandy beaches and/or mud, we may frequently get in and out of small boats with our gear.
Camping & Weather
Participants should anticipate a coastal wilderness camping experience and be prepared to go with the flow of the wildlife and weather. Our tenting arrangements can vary depending on where we go, and time of year. We have a base camp with an 800 square foot building that often serves as a launching point for our trips, and often we find good activity within walking distance, other times the wolves may lead us into other areas that require us to set-up a beach camp.
The weather can vary from hot and sunny to cool and rainy, sometimes all in the same day, we will provide you with a detailed packing list.
location
Vancouver Island and some of the outlying islands…
Not everyone appreciates these beautiful animals like we do, so we don’t share any specifics here.
| DATE | SPACE AVAILABLE | TYPE OF Expedition |
|---|---|---|
| January 17-27 | Full | Storm Wolf Exclusive |
| Feb 28 - March 6 | 3 | Wild Spring Wolves/Whales/Herring |
| March 10-16 | 4 | Wild Spring Wolves/Whales/Herring |
| March 17-23 | 4 | Wild Spring Wolves/Whales/Herring |
| March 24-29 | 5 | Wild Spring Wolves/Whales/Herring |
| April 10-17 | 4 | Sea Wolf Expedition |
| April 18-25 | Full | Sea Wolf Expedition |
| May 7-14 | 4 | Sea Wolf Expedition |
| May 15-23 | Full | Sea Wolf EXCLUSIVE |
| June 10-17 | 4 | Sea Wolf Expedition |
| June 18-25 | 4 | Sea Wolf Expedition |
| July 7-14 | 4 | Summer Expedition Pups, Bears and Sea Otters |
| Aug 5-12 | 3 | Summer Expedition Pups, Bears and Sea Otters |
| Sept 22-26 | Reserved | Summer Expedition Pups, Bears and Sea Otters |
| Sept 29-Oct 6 | Reserved | Wolves, Bears and Sea Otters |
2025 trip dates and availability
2026 Trip dates and availability
| DATE | SPACE AVAILABLE | TYPE OF TOUR |
|---|---|---|
| March | 5 | Wild Spring Wolves/whales/herring |
| March | 5 | Wild Spring Wolves/whales/herring |
| March | 5 | Wild Spring Wolves/whales/herring |
| March | 5 | Wild Spring Wolves/whales/herring |
| April 15-22 | Reserved | Spring Wolf |
| April 23-30 | Reserved | Spring Wolf |
| April | 5 | Wolf |
| May | 5 | Wolf |
| June | 5 | Wolf |
| July | 5 | Wolf |
| August | 5 | Wolf Pups/bears/Sea otters |
| October 23-30 | 5 | Filmmaker Workshop |
| December | 5 | Wolf |
** Dates may be subject to change **
Summer Tours
Weather permitting, this trip is designed to take you to some of our favourite locations and will feature hikes through old growth forest, walks on expansive beaches, sea caves, waterfalls, and a taste of our rugged coastline. We will hike or boat to a variety of photographically unique locations, with the anticipation of seeing wolves, bears, sea otters, and whales. Mornings and evenings we will prioritize catching a glimpse of the elusive Sea Wolf, while afternoons we will enjoy exploring the beaches, forest, tide pools, and hopefully relaxing in the sun!
The focus of this trip is summer fun in a slice of paradise, and we expect it to appeal to nature lovers as well as the keen photographer. There will be a variety of photographic opportunities on this trip, whether you are into landscapes, wildlife, or adventure photography.
July 3-10, 2024
August 1-9 2024
Wild Spring
Herring and Sea Wolves
Timed to coincide with the herring run, “One of Natures Great Events” and the
most exciting time to be on the BC Coast!
Guaranteed to be a wild experience. Herring are one of the keystone species of Coastal BC and witnessing spawning events is an unforgettable experience. Currently, it is estimated that the biomass of Pacific herring is 3 times that of all 5 salmon species combined! The spawning event is so intense the milt (sperm) from the male herring turns the water from a dark green to a tropical blue/green, even white at times. These events attracts all kinds of wildlife in a feeding frenzy that lasts for a few weeks each year.
We anticipate seeing: Humpback whales, Grey whales, harbour seals, sea lions, sea otters, black bears, wolves, a wide variety of sea and shore birds that gather on mass in anticipation of the herring spawn.
This unique sea safari offers and unprecedented array of Wildlife.
The egg masses will stick to the seaweed in the intertidal zone for 10 - 21 days providing a buffet when the tide drops. The weather can be great at this time of year, calm, cool, clear, or it can blow sideways and create amazing storm watching opportunities. Either way, we will be well positioned to safely observe the power of the open ocean and have a warm dry cabin to retire to. This is an adventure not to be missed!
Call of the coastal wolves
*Facilitated by Seaforth Expeditions
Watch "Call of the Coastal Sea Wolves", a short film by Natural History Cinematographer Maxwel Hohn.