Humpback Whales Underwater
March 10-17, 2007
Imagine a whale swimming by you and your camera, unconcerned about your presence. Prepare to feel small! Humpbacks are the most playful and photogenic of whales, and on their breeding grounds in the Dominican Republic, they allow our respectful approach more willingly than anywhere else in the world. Join photographer and naturalist Ted Cheeseman for a week of in-depth whale experiences. You’ll observe whale behavior from the surface and underwater well enough to be able to photograph the majestic mammals in ways previously only dreamed of.

For more information, contact: Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris, (800) 527-5330, [email protected], www.cheesemans.com/whales.

Sustainable Tourism Award Winner
Frontiers North Adventures has been honored with Travel Manitoba’s first-ever Sustainable Tourism Award. On Frontiers North’s unique Tundra Buggy Adventure programs, every October and November near Churchill, Canada, guests are treated to close-up polar bear encounters. Frontiers North’s knowledgeable guides work closely with the community, Manitoba Conservation, and Parks Canada to ensure the program’s sustainability.

The Manitoba Tourism Awards, sponsored by Travel Manitoba, annually recognize excellence and the implementation of high standards in the promotion and delivery of tourism experiences in Manitoba. The new Sustainable Tourism Award recognizes excellence in sustainable tourism practices.

“We’re proud to receive this inaugural Sustainable Tourism Award, and we’ll continue to ensure our company follows the sustainable practices we’ve developed over the past 25 years,” says John Gunter, marketing director for Frontiers North.

Frontiers North uses sustainable practices like biodegradable wash products, is transitioning to biodiesel fuel in the tundra buggies, and employs a full-time field operations manager to ensure adherence to all policies and guidelines by Frontiers North staff working in Churchill and on the tundra.

Frontiers North Adventures was honored in 2004 with Travel Manitoba’s Ecotourism Award, in recognition of its development of an education and eco-sensitive tourism product with a “non-consumptive” connection to nature.

For more information, contact: John Gunter, Marketing Director, Frontiers North, (800) 663-9832, (204) 949-2050, [email protected], www.frontiersnorth.com.

Top Pros Share Their Secrets
August 12-13, 2006
Join leading wildlife photographer Bill Hatcher and longtime photographer for National Geographic Bruce Dale in Tampa, Fla., at the 2006 Outdoor & Digital Photo Seminar, brought to you by Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto magazines. As one of the most recognizable photographers today, Bill Hatcher will reveal the exciting stories behind his photography, teach the elements of his success and share his philosophies about capturing and preserving nature’s beauty. Top digital photography authority Bruce Dale will share techniques he uses to make images come to life, explain how to manage workflow from capture to print and show how to judge digital quality.

For more information, contact: Outdoor Photographer, (310) 820-1500, [email protected], www.opseminar.com.

South Texas Birds
October 10-15, 2006
If you’ve ever dreamed of having access to a piece of world-class wildlife habitat, where you could set up a blind wherever you wanted, this is the photo tour you’ve been waiting for. And you don’t even have to set up the blinds! Join award-winning photographers Cathy and Gordon Illg on a tour of private ranches in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. You’ll visit several ranches, where you’ll spend your time in comfortable blinds set up on picturesque water holes with feeding stations. An incredible assortment of colorful birds from both sides of the border, as well as deer, javelina and bobcats, make use of these tiny oases. It’s a great opportunity for capturing stunning portraits and rarely photographed behaviors. Photographers have only to sit back and let the show begin.

For more information, contact: Adventure Photography, (303) 237-7086, [email protected], www.advenphoto.com.