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Polar
Bear Watching
&
Whale Harvesting in Alaska
September 02, 2006 – September
07, 2006
Day 1
Saturday September 2
Arrival to Anchorage on your own. . Transfer to a local hotel for check-in.
( we can assist with these
arrangements for you) This evening we will meet our tour leader and
other members of the group for an orientation meeting.
Day 2 Sunday September 03
A two-hour flight takes us north to the Arctic Ocean and the village of Barrow, Alaska. Upon our arrival, we will drop off
our luggage and check-in at our comfortable hotel. We then
immediately board our specially equipped van for polar bear watching.
Sometimes the Arctic Ice Pack
is visible. Sometimes arctic fox and caribou can be seen.
After lunch, we will explore the village of Barrow, the northernmost city in the USA. We usually have time to visit the
famous Eskimo Museum at the Inupiat Heritage Center and other local sights. Dinner will be at Pepe's North of the Border, serving the
finest Mexican food in the Arctic. After dinner, weather permitting, we
will again go polar bear viewing.
Days
3 Monday September 04
After breakfast, we fly to Prudhoe Bay where we will tour the oil facilities
and have lunch. We then fly to Kaktovik, a small native village on an
island in the Arctic
Ocean, and
the only village in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This is
whaling season and hopefully the local villagers have or will be landing
whales at the time of our arrival. Whaling and its ceremonies are
significant parts of native culture and village subsistence lifestyle. We
will observe the ceremonies and the traditional hunting, processing and
sharing of the whale and what it means to the people of
Kaktovik. Whales also attract polar bears including sows with cubs,
and we will be bear-watching as well as exploring Kaktovik. Evenings are
spent at our comfortable arctic hotel where the coffee is always on and
food is always available. Be prepared for
informal meetings with local residents and other visitors who will share
their knowledge of whales, bears, and arctic village life.
Day 4 Tuesday September 05
Day
5 Wednesday September 06
Day 6 Thursday September 07
Our morning is spent viewing the activity of the whale hunters who
might be going out again to hunt for more whales. We continue to explore
this island, visit with local people, and always watching for polar bears. In
the late afternoon, we depart Kaktovik and return to Anchorage.
Tour Size will be limited to
only six participants.
This is a specialized tour for nature and wildlife
lovers, photographers, and anyone who wants to observe arctic wildlife and
native culture at the source. It is a unique arctic experience.
Price $3699
Included in price
4 nights lodging
5 days of bear viewing
4 days of whale harvesting
All meals during the trip
Round-trip airfare from Anchorage (subject to change)
Ground transportation , Tour
Guide / Polar Bear Certificate
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