hogwildcruzers Posted June 14, 2012 #1 Share Posted June 14, 2012 We will be doing this tour in late August and were hoping to hear from people that have done this tour and just what we may expect to see in the way of wildlife that time of year.....thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabinfever11 Posted June 14, 2012 #2 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Excited to be doing this excursion July 1st --will let you know the details ! DH is more of a photographer than me but i intend to get some photos also. I've only read good things . Search it in space above --there is a review from this season ,already . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleckle Posted June 14, 2012 #3 Share Posted June 14, 2012 If you do that tour, try to have them take you to Mendenhall Glacier last so you can remain there as long as you like after their tour ends. Then you can ride one of the buses back to town when you are ready to leave. The people on our cruise who took that tour were very disappointed that they had only limited time at Mendenhall and did not get to explore the trails they wanted. They did not even have time to go to the visitor center or out to Nugget Falls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skiah Posted June 15, 2012 #4 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Fleckle, Good advice which I hadn't thought about. My wife and I are doing this excursion July 21 and the extra time at Mendenhall would be great. Murf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmitchell82 Posted June 15, 2012 #5 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Not sure which photo safari tour your are doing, but we did a whale watching & Mendenhall Glacier photo tour through Princess last week. Basically spent time on the water trying to shoot the whales, sealions, eagles, etc. Then we went to the Mendenhall Glacier. Did not do much hiking so did not see much wildlife. Granted, our time was cut short there since we spent more time on the water with the whales (hey, we got to witness a double whale breech, too bad I could not shoot fast enough...) Would have liked to have spent more time at the Mendenhall Glacier and done some longer hiking. As for the tour, the guide was a professional photographer. Most of what he talked about was more basic photo stuff. Granted, the audience was mostly people who had no idea what Av or Tv meant on their camera (and there was me with a Canon 60D with a Canon 100-400L lens attached:roll eyes:). I did ask the guy a number of more advanced questions and he was very helpful. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treven Posted June 16, 2012 #6 Share Posted June 16, 2012 I went on one of those excursions, but this was through my TA's company. We had a mile hike (after 5 heart attacks I probably shouldn't have done that - but I wanted to see the glacier and whales) through the "wilds", with a stop at an overlook above the glacier, then ending up at the visitor's center. We then were taken out on the bay for some whale watching. Saw lots of humpbacks as well as Orcas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deb63 Posted June 16, 2012 #7 Share Posted June 16, 2012 We did the photo safari tour in Juneau last year - first part of August. We loved it. I had wanted to do it again this year, but was worried as we are in Juneau a shorter time this year. We didn't book this tour because we are camera-people. We actually booked it because of the reviews I had read about how small they keep the group. First we hiked up to the glacier. We stopped along the way as the guide would find interesting contrasts in nature, coloring, etc. for us to take pics of. We walked along the water at the glacier. It was very pretty. After the glacier we headed out to the water for the whale watching portion. Due to the design of the boat, you could sit inside and take pics without risk of window glare or someone being in the way. We were fortunate to get to see/photograph orcas, as well as a pod of humpback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budget Queen Posted June 16, 2012 #8 Share Posted June 16, 2012 The wildlife will be humpbacks, eagles and likely sea lions. Anything else will be chance. These photo tours get raves, but I see it differently. All the "time" tied up with "advice" "needy people" etc cuts into being on the MOVE. :) All of Alaska is a photo tour, and everyone is far better off, getting as familiar as allowed by their camera equiptment. The basic tips given are easily known ahead of time, if you choose. Try your library for some "picture taking" books, and read through your camera manual. Try out those extra features that are on your camera, before you go. Nugget Falls at Mendenhall is a highlight, but needs an hour. I've gone there way before that nice trail was put in, so it is even more accessable now for everyone to enjoy. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogwildcruzers Posted June 17, 2012 Author #9 Share Posted June 17, 2012 The wildlife will be humpbacks, eagles and likely sea lions. Anything else will be chance. These photo tours get raves, but I see it differently. All the "time" tied up with "advice" "needy people" etc cuts into being on the MOVE. :) All of Alaska is a photo tour, and everyone is far better off, getting as familiar as allowed by their camera equiptment. The basic tips given are easily known ahead of time, if you choose. Try your library for some "picture taking" books, and read through your camera manual. Try out those extra features that are on your camera, before you go. Nugget Falls at Mendenhall is a highlight, but needs an hour. I've gone there way before that nice trail was put in, so it is even more accessable now for everyone to enjoy. :) That is great advise and I hope that all the members of this tour will know their camera and how to use the functions on them for this will allow more shooting time then advise time.....I'm a professional photographer and just knowing what all I may see will help me prepare my bag for this tour....thanks to all that have answered my question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treven Posted June 18, 2012 #10 Share Posted June 18, 2012 The photographer/guide on my excursion spent no time going over the basics; he felt that everyone there knew how their camera worked and spent his time pointing out things along the trail, and explaining what happened and when in relationship to the glacier. This was also true with our photographer/guide on the photo excursion in Haines. It was an excursion called Guide's Choice. He simply took us where he liked to go to take pix, and once we were at a particular spot he would point out compositions that he felt made good shots. If we wanted, we could just wander about taking pix of what interested us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted September 25, 2012 #11 Share Posted September 25, 2012 We went out on the Photo Safari by Land and Sea and had a blast. Took the sea portion first and while it took a while to get a good position on whales we had quite the show. Three large whales right in front of us, one nearly got us wet. The whale was slapping his tale over and over and over. It was insane. Will post a pic or two once I get them loaded. After that we went up to Mendenhal Glacier and had the luck to see a mama bear and two cubs. Dinner at Tracy's Crab shack and now after a trip to Chocolate Seduction I am BEAT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted September 25, 2012 #12 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midwest 852 Posted September 25, 2012 #13 Share Posted September 25, 2012 WOW! Great photo's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted September 25, 2012 #14 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Thank you. They are straight out of the camera from yesterday. Didn't have a chance to straighten them or anything. It was such an amazing day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted September 25, 2012 #15 Share Posted September 25, 2012 The whales were trying to chase off the sea lions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PathfinderEss Posted September 25, 2012 #16 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Awesome photo's, thanks for posting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoobCruise Posted September 25, 2012 #17 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Wow! Those are amazing pics Rebecca! We didn't get anywhere near as close and only saw 1 tail. What a great experience for you! Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solocanadian Posted September 25, 2012 #18 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Thank you Rebecca - awsome photos. How was the food at Tracy's?:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted September 25, 2012 #19 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Thanks All :) Crab was great. Too much. We got a bucket of legs, side of crab cakes and two drinks for $125.00 with tip. I LOVED the bread. I could have just eaten that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted September 25, 2012 #20 Share Posted September 25, 2012 I can't recommend the photo safari enough. They keep the group to 13 so that you are not crowded in a small boat fighting for space to get to see the whales. It was amazing. Our guide was great. She adapted to the photo needs of the group. Gave advice where needed and was very knowledgeable about the area. She's a whale researcher/marine biologist and a photog so she had so much to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted September 25, 2012 #21 Share Posted September 25, 2012 What a wonderful day you had in Juneau!! Your pictures are fantastic!! Thank you for sharing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDallasDi Posted September 26, 2012 #22 Share Posted September 26, 2012 I can't recommend the photo safari enough. They keep the group to 13 so that you are not crowded in a small boat fighting for space to get to see the whales. It was amazing. Our guide was great. She adapted to the photo needs of the group. Gave advice where needed and was very knowledgeable about the area. She's a whale researcher/marine biologist and a photog so she had so much to share. I second your recommendation. This is probably the best ship sponsored excursion in Alaska. And, I don't remember it being ultra-expensive. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue402001 Posted September 26, 2012 #23 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Thanks for posting your pictures Rebel54. You got some amazing shots. I hope to see some Orca's next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted September 26, 2012 #24 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Wish I had known about them before our Alaskan cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knittinggirl Posted February 4, 2013 #25 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Anybody take a dSLR? Did you take one lens multipurpose lens, or a wide angle and zoom lenses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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