BALD EAGLE PHOTO WORKSHOP
A unique wildlife experience near Vancouver Island
June 19-24 2027 (sold out)
June 29 - July 4 2027 (sold out)
July 4-9 2027 (1 space remaining)
July 12-17 2027 (2 spaces remaining)
What makes this photography workshop unique?
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An eagle photo opportunity like no other
Every year, hundreds of Bald Eagles gather at this location to feast on hake, a fish species in the cod family. Strong tidal currents force the hake to the surface, overinflating their swim bladders and leaving them vulnerable to predators. The action is relentless- you'll often hardly know where to point your lens as eagles dive for fish in every direction. You can have dozens, if not hundreds of opportunities each hour to nail the perfect action shot. The dates for this tour have been specifically selected to coincide with the optimal tides for fishing eagles, while also maximizing opportunities to photograph the eagles and other wildlife in beautiful evening and sunset light.
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An abundance of wildlife, on land and sea
The eagle feeding frenzy peaks for several hours each day, based on the tide and currents. The surrounding waters and shorelines are also home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Outside the peak eagle fishing periods, we'll spend our time searching for Humpback Whales, Black Bears, Orcas, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Steller's Sea Lions, nesting seabirds, and more. Rather than having standardized departure and return times for excursions, our itinerary will be custom-tailored and flexible to have the best wildlife photography opportunities. Throughout the trip, we’ll carefully position the boat to capture the best angles, light, and backdrops for photography.
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A uniquely small group experience (5 guests) at a private waterfront lodge, with a front-row seat to eagle & wildlife activity
After many years of running eagle photography trips, this itinerary has been carefully refined into an immersive small group experience. With just five participants, there’s plenty of room to photograph Bald Eagles and other wildlife from the boat. Our “landing craft” vessel has a covered section for comfortable travel, and an open section for easy photography, with unobstructed views possible in all directions. During the trip, we'll stay at a family-owned waterfront lodge, reserved exclusively for our group. Eagles, sea lions, and other wildlife are often visible from your balcony, and the prime eagle fishing areas are just minutes away. This is a truly a one-of-a-kind wildlife experience.
Details
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The workshop is fee is based on double occupancy and includes your hotel, all meals (except for optional arrival dinner), daily boat charters, full time guiding and instruction, and more. Single supplement (non-shared hotel room) is available for $750 CAD / $550 USD. Tax is 5% GST.
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The booking deposit is fully refundable minus a 3.5% processing fee for 30 days after receipt, or until February 1 2027 (whichever comes first). The remaining balance is due by March 1, 2027. For cancellation 60-90 days before the trip, a 50% refund will be issued. Refunds are not available for cancellation 59 days or less prior to trip departure.
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We’ll have a uniquely small group size to ensure an immersive and personalized experience, and extra space for everyone to photograph on board the boat.
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These dates have been specifically selected based off of the tide schedule, and years of monitoring eagle activity.
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We’ll begin and end this tour in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We’ll stay here on the first night and final night of the trip! In between, we’ll have 4 full days of photography on the water, and 3 nights at a beautiful private waterfront lodge just a few short minutes from the prime eagle fishing spots.
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As we’ll spend a lot of time photographing from boats, a portable setup that you are able to handhold is recommended (for example, a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a lightweight telephoto lens such as a 100-400mm, 200-500mm, 150-600mm, etc). While longer focal lengths can be useful for whales and wildlife, the Bald Eagles sometimes come within a few metres of the boat, a distance where it’s possible to get a good shot with a wide angle lens!
Trip Leader: Liron Gertsman
You may have seen him on CBC’s “The National”, heard his voice on CBC Radio One, or seen his work in publications such Canadian Geographic magazine, Audubon magazine, The Guardian, GEO magazine, and others. Liron Gertsman has been photographing continuously since he first got his hands on a borrowed camera at the age of five. His work has been experienced by millions in some of the largest museums across the world, including the Natural History Museum in London and the Smithsonian in Washington DC. Liron’s work has been widely recognized and awarded, winning the professional category of the 2022 and 2024 Audubon Photography Awards, winning the grand prize of the 2023 and 2025 Audubon Photography Awards, earning NASA’s “Astronomy Picture of the Day” feature, and earning a highly commended designation in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. In 2025, Liron was named the Bird Photographer of the Year by the prestigious competition. Liron has a biology degree from the University of British Columbia, which he uses to enhance his passion for art and visual storytelling, providing a scientific background to inform his understanding of the natural world.
Liron is passionate about education and ecotourism, and has been running photography tours and workshops for 10 years. He has spent over 15 years photographing Bald Eagles, and is thrilled to get the chance immerse local and international photographers alike in this spectacle.
Sample Itinerary
Rather than having standardized departure and return times for excursions, our itinerary is custom-tailored and flexible to have the best wildlife photography opportunities. On most days, we’ll have shorter (optional) classroom workshop sessions focusing on photography technique, and field excursions during the best periods for wildlife activity and light to photograph the Bald Eagles and other coastal wildlife on the water. We’ll typically stay out until it starts to get dark every day, to take advantage of the beautiful sunset light!
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We’ll meet in Campbell River in the late afternoon for check-in to our accommodation, and get to know each and the details for the week ahead over an optional group dinner.
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After breakfast, we’ll, head by boat into the Discovery Islands and towards our private lodge for the next 3 nights. As the tidal current picks up, we’ll have our first Bald Eagle photography session as they fish for hake! We’ll settle in at the lodge, and head out again to enjoy beautiful sunset light for wildlife photography. Lunch, snacks and dinner will be provided, prepared by our private chef.
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We’ll have an optional workshop session in the morning to talk about getting creative with photography, covering topics including lighting and composition. After, we’ll head out on the water for another full day of photography, highlighted by eagles, whales and other coastal wildlife, and the sunset. We’ll spend the night at our waterfront lodge, right next to the eagle activity. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks will all be provided.
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After a morning photo post-processing workshop, we’ll head back out on the water. During the low tide, we’ll be watching for Black Bears foraging along the shoreline. We’ll focus on photographing Bald Eagles in the beautiful evening light, before looking for more whales and wildlife as the sun sets. Another night at our waterfront lodge. All meals and snacks will be provided!
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We’ll have a morning excursion, in search of coastal wildlife such as Black Bears and whales. After lunch, we’ll head back out on the water for another session with the fishing Bald Eagles, and we’ll stay out for another photography session with whales or other coastal wildlife during the sunset. As the light fades, we’ll return to Campbell River for the final night of the trip. All meals (and snacks) will be provided!
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We’ll chat about our trip highlights over breakfast, followed by a final post-processing and photo-sharing session.
Limited spaces available: register to book your spot!
Testimonials from past guests
Additional FAQs
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Several years in the making, every decision behind our itinerary has been meticulously planned out. However, our plan remains flexible in order to get the best wildlife encounters and photography opportunities possible. Unlike standard wildlife tours, we don’t have strict departure and return times; we can make the most of each day, taking full advantage of wildlife photography opportunities and the beautiful sunset light on the water.
We’ll be making daily visits one to the best sites in the world for Bald Eagle photography. In fact, we’ll be staying just a few minutes away from the prime eagle fishing locations, and you’ll be able to see eagles from your doorstep. Combined with the rich diversity of wildlife that this region has to offer, there will be ample opportunities to create a photography portfolio to be proud of.
After many years of running eagle photography trips, this itinerary has been carefully refined into an immersive small group experience. With just five participants, there’s plenty of room to photograph Bald Eagles and other wildlife from the boat. Our “landing craft” vessel has a covered section for comfortable travel, and an open section for easy photography, with unobstructed views possible in all directions. During the trip, we'll stay at a family-owned waterfront lodge, reserved exclusively for our group. This is a truly a one-of-a-kind wildlife experience.
Liron has been photographing on the BC coast from the age of five, and has been guiding photography trips in this region for many years. Our captains are out on the water every day, and know the landscape and wildlife of the region better than just about anyone.
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Over the course of the workshop, we’ll spend about 32 hours on the water (usually 8+ hours per day). Outings are always optional, so you can take the trip at your own pace!
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We’ll be photographing from a landing craft vessel. It has a covered section for comfortable travel, and an open section for easy photography, with unobstructed views possible in all directions. With a group size limited to just 5 participants, there will be extra space for unobscured viewing and photography.
Given the mild summer sea conditions, stability of the boat, and relatively protected waters, seasickness is rare. Non-drowsy motion sickness medications can be used if you are worried, or prone to sea sickness.
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Travel to and from Campbell River, alcoholic drinks, and trip insurance are not covered in the trip cost. An optional dinner get-together on the arrival evening is also not included.
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Please bring a reusable water bottle, several clothing layers (it can be cold on the water, but warm on land), sunglasses, sunscreen, and closed-toe shoes. Meals and snacks will be provided, but you are welcome to bring additional snacks. For photography gear, a portable setup that you are able to handhold is recommended (for example, a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a lightweight telephoto lens such as a 100-400mm, 200-500mm, 150-600mm, etc). While longer focal lengths can be useful for whales and wildlife, the Bald Eagles sometimes come within a few metres of the boat, a distance where it’s possible to get a good shot with a wide angle lens! In addition to your camera, a pair of binoculars can be very nice to have. A tripod may be used for land excursions, if desired.
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When photographing Bald Eagles, it is not unusual for the birds to fish within a few metres of the boat. When photographing marine mammals, we will follow ethical viewing practices and government regulations (100+ metres from most whales, 200+ metres from most Orca). Given the large size of many marine cetaceans, these distances are able to provide fantastic viewing and photography opportunities.
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In addition to Bald Eagles, we will spend time on the water looking for Humpback Whales, Orcas, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Steller’s Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, and Black Bears. Other mammals that we may encounter include Dall’s Porpoise, Harbor Porpoise, and North American River Otter. A multitude of seabird species are possible on the water, including Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets, three cormorant species, Bonaparte’s Gulls, and many more. On land, we will make a trip to look for Barred Owls, and other terrestrial bird species. While wildlife sightings are impossible to fully predict, this is a highly biodiverse and wildlife-rich region, so the odds are very much in our favour! The trip leader and boat captain have strong identification skills, so are happy to identify birds, wildlife, invertebrates, plants, and other living organisms that reside in this diverse coastal ecosystem.
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Limited physical activity is required, as most of our time will be spent on boats. Some of our morning excursions may take us on short hikes (up to around 1.5km) on relatively flat ground. These will be done at a slow pace, in order to keep an eye out for wildlife and photo opportunities.
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For the first and last night, we’ll be staying at a hotel in Campbell River, BC. In between, we’ll be at a private waterfront lodge, just a few minutes from the eagle fishing spots. It’s an amazingly beautiful place, with wildlife often visible from your window! We’ll have a private chef on site as well, who will prepare our meals. It’s a 60 to 90 minute boat trip between Campbell River and our base in the Discovery Islands.
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While we do have an itinerary planned out, our schedule is flexible. This will allow for us to make the most of wildlife encounters, good light, and overall photography opportunities. All activities are optional.
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We’ll start and end the trip in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. During the trip, we’ll be staying at a beautiful private waterfront lodge in the Discovery Islands.
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We aim to have a fun, positive, easy-going and non-competitive group atmosphere! While the goals of the workshop are to achieve fantastic photos and practice and develop our photography technique, we want to make every moment enjoyable, both in and out of the field.
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Between our morning field trips and our afternoon/evening excursions on the water, we’ll have some time back at the hotel. We’ll hold some photography presentations and post-processing workshops during this time, but all activities are optional; guests are welcome to take time to rest as desired.
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As much or as little as you want! The group size is designed to allow personalized attention. In addition to field instruction, workshop activities include optional indoor seminars and post-processing sessions.
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Yes! We will reach out to you to find out your dietary preferences in advance of the trip.
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The trip price is based on double occupancy, but single supplement for solo travelers who don’t want to share a hotel room with another guest is available for $750.
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Smoking is prohibited during group workshop activities.