Our guides will meet you upon arrival in Halifax. We gather at the Inn on the
Lake for our orientation dinner. We recommend coming a day early just
in case weather conditions prohibit you from arriving on time. We offer an Extra
Day in Halifax Programme, which provides wonderful insight into this
charming and historic city.

After dinner this evening, we board our chartered airplane for a 50-minute flight to the Magdalen Islands. When we arrive, it is just a ten-minute drive to the hotel, where we relax and get a good night sleep for the next day's activities.

While in the Magdalen Islands we can visit the seal herds every day, weather allowing. After a brief safety presentation, our guides issue expedition suits for warmth, and get you ready for your adventure. The journey can take between five
minutes and one hour depending on the location of the seals.

From the safety of the helicopters, you will be amazed at the wonderful formations made by the open water leads in the ice. After the pilots choose a suitable ice pan, they set down a couple of hundred yards from the herd. After another brief safety talk, we will spread out among the seals, giving each traveller ample opportunity to have their own personal private time with these remarkable animals.

Our expedition leaders and local guides are highly knowledgeable in seal biology and behavior and our local guides, often ex-seal hunters who agree not to hunt if we give them an alternative source of revenue, understand the ice and the seals in a unique way! When we approach the seals, they all have different reactions: some will bark at us, others will scurry away and still others will roll on their backs, almost encouraging us to scratch their bellies.

Photograph opportunities abound as the seals (the mothers are remarkable as well) and the ice make wonderful images. When not visiting the seals, travellers
can participate in a variety of outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, cross
country skiing and hiking, or slide shows and lectures on wildlife and photography, as well as island tours and visits to the many unique northern crafts shops.

All of these activities are optional and are included in your programme fee. You will also have a unique chance to explore and learn about how these remote islands were formed. Pushed upwards from the floor of the ocean and sculpted by the waves, winds, and currents of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the islands are always in a state of change. Salt marshes, pristine sand dunes, and towering cliffs of sandstone are just some of the habitats we can explore. Although often hidden from view, the islands are home to many wintering birds, and red fox wander the dunes and salt marshes.

After a full day of activities, including flights to the seal herds, we gather for our dinner banquet. In the late evening, we return to Halifax on our chartered aircraft.

After breakfast, we transfer you to the airport for your return flight home. Your Journey to the Ice Floes & Our Commitment to Traveller Safety. Each season our supplier, Natural Habitat Adventures, brings its own private helicopter(s) into the islands.

This provides us with exclusive use of the helicopters, allowing us great
flexibility in offering trips to the seal herds that meet the needs of our guests.
All schedules depend on weather and equipment conditions as well as our
travellers' abilities and desires. Research has shown that this does not harm the animals and it is surely one of life's greatest thrills! Safety for our travellers, and for the seals, is our main concern. To this end, we provide an extensive safety presentation and our pilots, guides and helicopters will remain with you
during your entire stay on the ice.

For each and every traveller on the ice floes, which is generally between 5 and 14 travellers at a time, we have assigned a helicopter seat of their own. To us, this is absolutely essential. In the unlikely event that ice conditions change rapidly we can lift each traveller off the ice within minutes. While this scenario is rare, our many years of running seal watching trips and flying helicopters in the northern environs have shown us that it can happen. We will not compromise safety!

We have included in our Seal Watch programme a special dog sledding excursion so our travellers can experience the thrills and traditional life of the North; racing down an icy trail behind a team of sled-dogs with an experienced musher. If the location of the trip moves to Prince Edward Island, dog sledding may not be available, but will be replaced by other exciting activities.