Newfoundland & Labrador Photo Expedition

Arrive at St. John’s International Airport where you’re met and transferred to our downtown hotel. Situated on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula, St. John’s offers a colorful introduction to the island of Newfoundland, with steep streets, classic harbor views and brightly painted row houses that invite your camera's attention. On the outer edge of Atlantic Canada, St. John’s is North America’s easternmost city and one of the continent’s oldest municipalities. Its rich cultural heritage blends Indigenous, English and Irish influences, some of which are on view on the downtown Quidi Vidi Trail, a series of interpretive panels and artwork. If time permits, head out for an independent walk in search of appealing photo subjects before gathering for a welcome dinner and orientation with our Expedition Leader. We time our evening to catch the sunset at Cape Spear, illuminating the historic lighthouse and wave-battered coastline. The cape is Canada's most easterly point of land, with a lighthouse operating continuously here since 1836.

Our photography adventure begins in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove, one of the oldest European settlements in North America. Continuously occupied since at least 1598, the town’s current population of about 950 sustains itself with fishing and ecotourism. We'll photograph colorful fishing stages, working boats, weathered docks and peaceful harbor scenes. A scenic drive takes us from St. John’s to Trinity, the coastal village where The Shipping News was filmed, and our base for the next three nights.

After lunch, head to sea in search of Newfoundland’s abundant whales on a two-hour private marine safari aboard an RHIB—Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat—offering agility that bigger vessels lack, and ideal for photographing marine wildlife from a low vantage on the water. The largest annual whale migration in the northern hemisphere begins off the Newfoundland coast in early June, with various species present until September or later. With our boat’s low profile, we hope to get close enough to observe whales as they breach, feed and play. As we follow the coastline of Trinity Bay, keep cameras ready for possible sightings of humpback, fin, sperm and minke whales, orcas, dolphins and porpoises, seals, bald eagles and seabirds, including puffins, gannets and more. Following the coastline of Trinity Bay, capture images of scattered islands, remote seaside communities and rugged headlands, then return to town with free time to photograph the village’s colorful architecture and lively harbor before we gather for dinner.

Today’s focus is the photogenic Bonavista Peninsula, where we devote extended time to the Atlantic puffin colony at Elliston, one of the best land-based puffin photography locations in North America. A short walk takes us to a close but respectful vantage to observe a puffin colony roosting on a rocky outcrop, photographing them as they perch, preen, court and return from the sea with fish in their beaks.

Continue to Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark to photograph The Dungeon, a dramatic sinkhole formed by the collapse of two adjacent sea caves shaped by coastal erosion. Exploring the geology and natural history of the area, we witness the power of the ocean to relentlessly reshape the soft sedimentary rock shoreline. Eventually, The Dungeon will one day erode to become a single pillar known as a sea stack.

We also visit Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, one of the most photographed in Newfoundland. Built in 1843 and painted in the classic red-and-white style of the region, the lighthouse contains a rare 19th-century catoptric lamp system that once burned seal oil to produce light. We'll have time to work both sweeping coastal compositions and details of the historic structure.

Return to Trinity for a fun evening at Rising Tide Dinner Theater, a renowned drama company in operation since 1978. Producing plays that celebrate the province’s storied past and contemporary voices, the company’s performances are equally entertaining and educational. When weather permits, many performances take place outdoors.

Return to the sea this morning on a private half-day whale-watching cruise designed with photographers in mind, as we focus not only on whales, but also dolphins, seals and seabirds. After lunch, take a guided walking tour with opportunities to document historic Trinity in images. Trinity's rich heritage dates back more than 500 years, and we learn about the history of its many inhabitants over the centuries, including the Beothuk Indigenous people, and French, Irish and English settlers. Experience Trinity's magnificent cultural history through stories, photos, burial records, shipwrecks and disasters as we time-travel through Newfoundland with our acclaimed local guide, a Trinity native whose ancestors arrived in the "New Founde Land" from Dorset, England in the early 1800s. Later this afternoon, choose between free time in town or a hike on the Skerwink Trail led by our Expedition Leader. The route offers striking photo opportunities of the rugged coastline, sea stacks, arches and beaches. Scan the deep blue ocean for humpback and minke whales, and capture shots of seals basking on the rocks at the base of cliffs. Seabirds abound, and we frequently see bald eagles soaring overhead. This evening, depart for Fort Point where we gather for a classic Newfoundland summer dinner: a seafood boil by the ocean.

From Gander, a small town that gained international recognition after the 9/11 attacks when it welcomed stranded passengers whose planes were diverted due to the closure of American air space, board a private flight to Blanc Sablon, a village on the north coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Here, we transfer to a small bus for the scenic drive along the Labrador coast to Mary's Harbour. Here, we board a ferry, weaving through narrow channels and passing various islands as our route takes us through calm inlets with plenty of chances to photograph the coastal landscape, plus seals, whales and other marine life.

As we approach Battle Island, brightly painted cottages come into view—photogenic subjects scattered along the hill overlooking the historic settlement. Ashore, step back in time as we document scenes of this restored former fishing outpost. Despite its isolation and exposure to the harsh elements, Battle Harbour was once known as the “Capital of Labrador.” For centuries, it served as an economic and cultural stronghold for the region’s sparsely populated southeast coast, sustaining a thriving fishing community until the 1990s when the cod fishery drastically declined and the permanent settlement was abandoned. Restored by the Battle Harbour Historical Trust, Battle Harbour today is a car-free island without cell service or reliable Wi-Fi, offering overnight visitors a quiet and immersive experience, not to mention evocative photo subjects including weathered buildings and classic seascapes. A tour of the settlement brings Battle Harbour’s past to life. From the shoreline, scan the horizon for whales, or look for Arctic fox to photograph as you traverse the small island on one of the many hiking trails that wend among Arctic vegetation and quirky rock formations. A sanctuary from modern distractions, Battle Harbour provides time and space to truly appreciate this grand landscape that has captivated people for centuries.

Over two days, photograph Battle Harbour in depth as we witness its evolution from its 1770s origins as a center for salting and preserving catches into a thriving 19th-century fishing community and its modern incarnation as a living museum. Take advantage of morning and evening light on its weathered buildings, red-and-white striped lighthouse, salt fish premises, boardwalks, boats and rugged coastline. Through interactive experiences and guided tours, gain insight into the resilience and determination that allowed this isolated community to thrive in the face of harsh conditions as it relied on the bounty of the sea. There's plenty of time to work deliberate compositions of weathered wood, abandoned sheds, maritime details and sweeping views toward Cape St. Charles, the easternmost point in North America.

A private boat tour along the island's shoreline offers water-level angles on the settlement and coast, while optional hikes lead to photos of Arctic vegetation and rocky outcrops where changing weather adds atmosphere to the landscape. Between field sessions, there may be time for informal image review, discussing technique, or personal exploration with your camera in hand.

An early morning ferry ride returns us to Mary’s Harbour, with cameras ready for whales, seabirds and morning light on the coast. Ashore, we turn south to follow the Labrador shoreline, passing Red Bay National Historic Site. With UNESCO World Heritage status, Red Bay encompasses the remains of a major 16th-century Basque whaling operation, attracting nearly 2,000 Basque whalers from Spain and France. They hunted bowhead and right whales, both currently endangered species, for their oil, used primarily as fuel for lighting in Europe at the time. Today, the archaeological remains include shipwrecks, rendering ovens, cooperages, and a cemetery containing the remains of 140 whalers.

More historic photography lies ahead at L’Anse Amour, the oldest-known burial mound in North America. Located in one of the largest and longest-used Aboriginal habitation sites in Labrador, occupied by the Maritime Archaic people between 9,000 and 2,000 years ago, the low circular mound of large stones measures about 25 feet in diameter. We also capture shots of Atlantic Canada’s tallest lighthouse at Point Amour, rising 109 feet above the Strait of Belle Isle. Then it’s time to return to Newfoundland as we board another ferry this evening, searching for more marine wildlife to photograph as we cross the strait.

The fishing village of Port au Choix is home to a small resident caribou herd accustomed to human presence, and we go in search of a chance to photograph them this morning. Continue to Gros Morne National Park, acclaimed for its dramatic geology that provides a rare visible illustration of plate tectonics and the process of continental drift. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park contains exposed rocks from the earth’s mantle and oceanic crust, which were thrust to the surface of the earth through a process called subduction around 500 million years ago.

The geology also showcases events that occurred around 1.2 billion years ago when the ancient continental margin of North America collided with another continent and formed a vast mountain range. Photograph this fascinating phenomenon this afternoon on a private boat ride on Western Brook Pond. Steep rock walls rising 2,000 feet high surround this spectacular fjord created by receding glaciers. Fed by Stag Brook and refreshed with numerous waterfalls, the pond formed when land rebounded following the melting of the glacier, creating a natural dam. Continuing to Bonne Bay, we transfer to Gros Morne Inn for two nights. The remainder of the afternoon is free to photograph our coastal environs in the softening light, enjoy the cedar sauna or hot tubs, or relax on the patio by the fire pit before dinner.

These two days are devoted to photographing Gros Morne’s wondrous geology and coastal scenery, with a flexible pace that allows more time at the park’s most rewarding locations. Get a rare glimpse into an intriguing slice of the planet’s geology at Tablelands, a glaciated landscape comprised of exposed mantle rock typically found deep within Earth’s interior. Orange-brown in color, the rock, called peridotite, creates a barren landscape that stands in stark contrast to the surrounding verdant hills and valley. The terrain is devoid of vegetation due to a heavy concentration of metals that are toxic to most—but not all—plants. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the otherworldly atmosphere of the landscape, several carnivorous plants thrive here, and we photograph the most prolific, which survive mainly on insects.

Continue to Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, where coastal trails, ocean views, cliffs and the Long Range Mountains offer classic Newfoundland compositions. We also visit Green Point Geological Site, one of the world’s most significant geological landmarks, where layered sedimentary rocks preserve nearly 500 million years of Earth history along a dramatic shoreline. There will be ample photo opportunities at Bonne Bay, with time to relax at the inn and work with our Expedition Leader on processing and editing techniques. On our final night, enjoy a last photography walk before a festive farewell dinner celebrating our journey through Newfoundland and Labrador.

Transfer to Deer Lake Regional Airport for homeward flights, carrying memories and images from Newfoundland and Labrador’s wild coastlines, historic fishing communities, abundant marine life, dramatic geology and remote northern landscapes.