Join Backcountry Journeys as we step into one of the most extraordinary wildlife gatherings left on the planet, the annual return of thousands of beluga whales to Cunningham Inlet. This remote Arctic nursery is one of the few places on Earth where belugas reliably summer in shallow, turquoise water just feet from shore. Mothers and calves roll, whistle, and socialize right in front of us, offering endless opportunities to photograph one of the most charismatic marine mammals on the planet. It’s no wonder major film crews, including the BBC, have documented here for years.

This region also sits beside the greatest narwhal migration on Earth. Narwhal follow the Arctic char along ancient coastal routes, and our lodge lies right on one of these corridors. With helicopter access, we may have the chance to see these elusive “unicorns of the sea” from above, an incredibly rare perspective that reveals their delicate movements through crystal-clear Arctic water. This narwhal population has never been hunted, adding to both its uniqueness and its biological importance.

As we travel along the Northwest Passage, we enter the realm of the polar bear. In late summer, the bears patrol the coastlines of Somerset Island, waiting for sea ice to return. This is when they are at their strongest, having fed heavily in spring. We’ll have the extraordinary opportunity to photograph them from the ground and from the air, capturing both intimate moments and sweeping environmental scenes that show the bears moving through pressure ridges and rugged Arctic terrain.

Inland, the tundra opens into muskox country. August marks the beginning of the rut, when massive bulls collide in thunderous head-butting battles that echo across the valley. Herds of 15 to 35 animals gather in the open landscape, giving us everything from tight portrait opportunities to grand, wide-angle scenes in soft autumn light. Arctic foxes, wolves (rare but present), and even snowy owls also roam this wilderness, adding extra excitement to every outing.

What makes this journey truly unmatched is the exclusivity of our remote Arctic lodge. We are not in Churchill, and we are not in Svalbard. This is a part of the Canadian High Arctic that very few people have ever set foot in, nearly to Baffin Island, in one of the most untouched ecosystems left on the continent. The lodge’s team has pioneered a unique, comfortable mobile camp system that gives us access to this wilderness without sacrificing warmth, good food, or safety.
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With two helicopter-supported adventure days, we have unparalleled flexibility. We can search for polar bears along the coast, scout the narwhal migration from the air, or reposition to areas where muskox or belugas are most active. The camp is in constant communication with field scouts monitoring wildlife activity, so we can always move to where the action is.
This is an active trip, expect 2 to 3 miles of walking over Arctic terrain each day, but the reward is access to raw, unregulated, genuinely wild Arctic country that few travelers will ever see. From Yellowknife, we charter directly to camp, then spend our days exploring a landscape where wildlife still moves according to ancient rhythms, undisturbed by mass tourism.
This is, without question, one of the most exclusive wildlife photography opportunities on Earth, a rare chance to experience the Arctic as it truly is, vast, alive, and breathtakingly remote.