Journeys of Inspiration
Contents Welcome Photography Expeditions Dive & Snorkel Expeditions Cruise & Yacht Expeditions Antarctica South Georgia Spitsbergen Greenland Icleand Canadian Arctic The White Sea The Russian Far East The North Pole The South Pole The Galapagos Cocos & Malpello Mexico The Pacific Whales Experiences
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Waterproof Expeditions are experts in creating unique wildlife photography, specialist cruise, polar and tropical dive experiences to the world’s more remote and exotic destinations. Ideal for explorers and divers alike, all trips are designed around the element of water: underwater, above and beyond.
Our life-enhancing travel experiences will exhilarate, educate and inspire. It is our desire that travellers, divers, snorkelers, nature lovers and photographers from around the world will share our passion for wild places and the natural world. From diving in Antarctica’s polar waters, true ice diving with belugas in the White Sea and photographing polar bears in the High Arctic to swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos, exploring the Pacific’s coral reefs and meeting the cultural tribes of Papua New Guinea.
Our aim is to attract those who will be as enthusiastic as we are about adventure and who will share the same values for conservation and education. All Waterproof Expeditions’ departures have an expert guide ranging from renowned underwater photographers and wildlife cameramen to conservationists, explorers and naturalists.
It’s not about the moments we breathe... It’s about the moments that take our breath away
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Our boutique-style photography expeditions are ideal for keen photographers - beginners and experienced alike - who are looking for a unique wildlife encounter and the right opportunity to shoot that special ‘one-off’ image. Our photography targets include some of the world’s most incredible wildlife from great white sharks and blue whales in the warm waters off the coast of Mexico to Antarctica’s elusive leopard seals and the mighty polar bear in the Arctic We cruise, kayak, (free) dive and snorkel to ensure the ultimate encounter, yet still keeping well within strict guidelines to avoid disturbing or frightening the wildlife. All our groups are guided by renowned and award winning professional photographers
who will share their expertise on composition, shapes, colours and the importance of light. Travelling in small groups of like-minded photographers - some of our trips have as few as four guests - allows plenty of time with the professionals and the wildlife.
“Over the years I have been very fortunate to have many spectacular encounters with Walrus. The knowledge I pass on to you is only from days and hours of hands-on experience. While there is still much to learn about the animal, I truly feel that the Walrus is one of the most fascinating animals in our oceans” Göran Ehlme, co-founder Waterproof Expeditions and Award winning BBC wildlife photographer
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We are the only company offering dedicated dive expeditions to the polar regions, attracting experienced travellers keen to share a passion for oceans, adventure and conservation. In the Arctic, photograph beluga whales on an ice-diving expedition to the White Sea or live literally on the ice edge of Lancaster Sound surrounded by blue ice formations and migrating pods of narwhal and beluga. Join a comfortable expedition ship in Spitsbergen and dive around pack ice and giant kelps, enjoying real exploration of new sites. In Antarctica, diving and snorkelling is a unique experience for divers. Not just ice, but an amazing underwater world with fascinating marine life. A highlight for many underwater explorers is the chance to dive and snorkel with the elusive leopard seal.
Specialty available on trips below 60 degrees south and above the Arctic Circle. It takes time, experience and dedication to explore the best dive possibilities and to find the prime locations in Antarctica and the Arctic, but with more than 15-years experience, we have the expertise and knowledge needed to make an underwater experience the best-ever. Our passion for the Oceans takes us further to warm waters as well and apart from bitsy icebergs we love to share pristine and colourfull coral reefs with you as well as encounters with sharks and whales.
Become one of the world’s few certified polar divers with our exclusive Padi Polar Diver
“Leopard seals are the most incredible animals I have ever had the pleasure of photographing.” Paul Nicklen, National Geographic photographer
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CRUISE & YACHT EXPEDITIONS
Small expedition cruise ships and private exploration yachts are our specialty. From modern ice-strengthened expedition vessels to exclusive luxurious yachts, we provide the perfect platform for a life-changing experience whether weaving through disintegrating pack ice or creeping past vivid coral atolls. We select our partner vessels with care based on the conditions and equipment needed to deliver a particular experience, from an exclusive voyage for a small private group sailing in tropical waters to participation in a scheduled expedition to the polar regions. We offer fixed schedules for expedition cruising to destinations such as Antarctica and South Georgia, Spitsbergen, Greenland and Franz Josef Land. On these voyages our exclusive Dive Operation is led by experienced Dive Masters and our specially designed heated dive operation will be
onboard. Expert guides and lecturers interpret the rich natural history and culture whilst notable authors, academics and researchers are frequently onboard adding to exhilarating dinner conversations. Looking for a private charter? We have the contacts, experience and destination knowledge to organise a full concept of breathtaking experiences for small exclusive groups. We will source the perfect vessel, design the itinerary and provide the onboard operation – taking care of every small detail to create the additional ‘wow’ factor.
“We have the contacts, experience and destination knowledge to create your ‘wow’ factor “
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Antarctica With its overwhelming array of colours, moods, diverse wildlife and underwater world the spectacular Antarctic Peninsula is a paradise for everyone who enjoys adventures on both land and sea. The opportunity to be in the company of thousands of penguins, watching whales dolphins and seals, diving in an underwater world with a fascinating marine life, and zodiac cruising between brilliant white icebergs and ice floes will captivate and amaze. We charter comfortable ice-strengthened polar ships and exploration yachts for our exclusive Antarctic expeditions, offering a full concept of experiences for active explorers, advanced cold-water divers, photographers and polar snorkellers. Using zodiacs, kayaks and on foot, we go further and get closer to the natural world and wild places.
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“I have been there, I have seen it, and I would go again. It is like a little heaven below� Sir Vivian Fuchs on Antarctica
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South Georgia The combination of the Sub Antarctic Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula is an expedition full of exciting highlights. To us, South Georgia is one of the most most inspiring places on earth - a remote, rugged and hauntingly beautiful island with a fascinating history. The scenery is awe-inspiring with impressive mountains, deep fjords, mighty glaciers and narrow sheltered waterways. The island is home to more wildlife than virtually anywhere else on the planet – wandering albatross, fur seals, elephant seals and literally thousands of king penguins. South Georgia also played a significant role in Ernest Shackleton’s epic journey after the sinking of his ship the Endurance. We reflect on his journey whilst walking the last part of his route from Fortuna Bay to the whaling station of Stromness.
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“Visually and emotionally, the island of South Georgia overwhelms. It resembles a profusion of captivating animals that quickly transforms even the most discriminating observer into a raving anthropomorphic.� Ron Naveen - Wild Ice
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Spitsbergen Expedition cruising around the stunning Svalbard archipelago is a trip of a lifetime to an untouched Arctic wilderness. Sail along sculpted glacier fronts, through breathtakingly scenic fjords and amongst sparkling ice caps lit by the midnight sun. The wildlife watching around Spitsbergen is exceptional with Arctic foxes, bearded seals, walrus, beluga whales and the ultimate wildlife encounter – with the mighty polar bear. Life in the Arctic is very much underwater based and divers’ perspectives, photographs and videos prove fascinating to the topside explorers, whilst on many occasions the boats alert divers to wildlife they hadn’t spotted. For the explorers there are exhilarating zodiac cruises and the chance to explore by kayak, whilst advanced divers and snorkelers have the unique opportunity to experience a rarely seen underwater world.
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“Polar bears are the world’s largest nonaquatic predators and top the food chain in the Arctic. They prey primarily on ringed seals. Biologists estimate there are 20,000 to 25,000 bears left in the Arctic.”
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Greenland Explore Greenland’s rugged and largely untouched coastline on one of our comfortable expedition cruises and truly experience the country’s grandeur and wild beauty - a scenic experience that will stay with you long after you return home. Colossal blue and white icebergs in fantastic shapes float on a sea of deep blue, offering great photography opportunities above and under water. But the ice is not all. Greenland is also about green mountains with beautiful wild flowers, long fjords and precipitous cliffs, hot springs and deliciously fresh air. Wildlife also thrives here - at sea and on land - with whales, seals, reindeer, musk ox and if we are lucky, polar bears all seen along the coast.
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“Colossal blue and white icebergs in fantastic shapes float on a sea of deep blue, offering great photography opportunities above and under water.�
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Iceland Action and luxury go hand-in-hand in wild and beautiful Iceland. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon massage in the therapeutic, mineral rich waters of the famous Blue Lagoon. Or go to Thingvellir National Park to dive and snorkel the Silfra Rift – an amazing world-class dive experience in the crystal clear waters of a crack between the American and Eurasian continents. The visibility here is incredible (100 metres plus) due to the constant water temperature (2°C - 4°C) of the glacier melt water that has travelled through the lava fields for many years before coming out at the north end of Thingvellir Lake through underground wells. The mild current caused by these underground wells helps the divers and snorkelers drift through the crack.
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“A land of boiling mud pools, spurting geysers, glaciers, waterfalls and crystal clear water… Iceland is not only closer than you think, but far different than you ever imagined.”
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Canadian Arctic The High Arctic is a paradise for wildlife lovers. With Ivory-tusked narwhal, grinning belugas, majestic bowhead whales and literally thousands of migratory birds. You just need to know when and where to go. That is our expertise. Our expert guides and local Inuit knowledge allow us to match ideal locations with the best time of year for the chance to get up close and personal with Arctic wildlife. World-renowned amongst filmmakers as one of the most prolific areas for Arctic wildlife, our camp is literally on the ice floe edge surrounded by the best aspects of the High Arctic from crystalline icebergs to electric blue ice formations. Advanced divers can dive alongside grounded icebergs and through cracks in the ice. Snorkeling and kayaking is also available.
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“ Experience the Real Arctic. Narwhals, polar bears, glaciers, Inuit culture and icebergs make this an unparalleled adventure“
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White Sea One of the best places in the world for true sea-ice diving, the White Sea is also a yearround destination for snorkeling and diving with beluga whales. For divers, the underwater world of the White Sea boasts a magnificent sea life and excellent scenery with fantastic underwater ice formations, caverns and fissures; an exquisite environment with soft corals, sponges and sea anemones. Above water there is an opportunity to catch sight of the incredibly colorful aurora borealis. The adventure begins with a husky dog sledge safari in Finland before driving through the Russian wilderness to the Arctic Lodge on the shores of the frozen sea.
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“The beluga swam up to me and turned just before touching me. He did this several times before stopping right in front of me...To swim with these animals was an incredible experience … I could do it over and over again.” Franco Banfi, your expert guide on the White Sea photography expedition.
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Russian Far East From the Kuril Islands in the south to Wrangel Island in the north, the Russian Far East is a region steeped in history and mystery. Access was restricted even to local Russians during the Cold War, and it is still considered a ‘border zone’ with special permissions needed for non-Russians. However, its very isolation has long protected one of the world’s best-kept secrets – the region’s wilderness and wildlife. The Russian Far East has some of the best birding islands in the world and a rugged coastline ideal for expedition cruising. Breeding colonies of sea lions, fur seals and walrus, brown bear and polar bear, are all set against a backdrop of magnificent forests, high Arctic tundra, towering volcanoes and wildflower displays unequalled anywhere in the world.
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“For those who have not been, the Russian Far East seems impossibly forbidding and it’s often mistaken for Siberia (just west). The truth is it-s bigger, more remote and, in winter, even colder.“
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North Pole 90 degrees north, the top of the world. Adventurers and explorers tried to get here for centuries using sled, ship, aircraft, dogs and balloon. The harsh realities of the Arctic climate defeated every single one of them until as recently as 1948. Even today, reaching the North Pole is a difficult and challenging journey. Only a select few make it each year. Our expeditions to the Geographical North Pole are a unique chance to add your name to the short list of adventurers who have made the ultimate journey to the top of the world. Choose a true ice diving expedition, ski to the Pole or take a helicopter expedition in the midnight sun.
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“Glittering white, shining blue, raven black, in the light of the sun the land looks like a fairy tale. Pinnacle after pinnacle, peak after peak, crevassed, wild as any land on our globe, it lies, unseen and untrodden.� Roald Amundsen
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South Pole Imagine a land of unlimited horizons and stark beauty – untouched and undiscovered. A world of snow and sky, the air so clear you feel you can touch the mountains. This is the South Pole – a place of dreams and exploration where one can experience the extraordinary. There is simply no place like it on earth. Choose extreme adventure and physical challenge or, for a more relaxed pace, experience the heartland of Antarctica from the cozy, comfortable base camp. Experienced guides and staff are there to support every step of the way. From flights to the Geographic South Pole and photo safaris with the magnificent Emperor Penguin, to climbing Vinson Massif – a coveted seventh summit – and commemorative ski journeys across the polar frontier, these incomparable experiences take the modern day explorer into a forbidding land of awe-inspiring beauty.
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“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” Lao Tsu
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The Galapagos The many opportunities for close encounters with wildlife make a visit to the Galapagos truly exceptional. The islands and surrounding waters are literally teaming with exotic and colorful creatures with no fear of humans. Bird life is abundant, varied and fearless. It is not unusual to see a blue-footed booby cross the path in front or a Galรกpagos hawk perch just a few steps away, whilst an albatross launches itself from a cliff on a journey that will cover thousands of miles. Divers regularly encounter squadrons of eagle rays fly-by in close formation, as well as larger and more majestic manta rays, whilst wave after wave of hammerhead sharks go by like a presidential motorcade. The profusion of marine life can be that dizzying.
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“To tell the truth we have never met animals who have made the transition from land to water without feeling a touch of envy� Jacques-Yves Cousteau
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Cocos & Malpello Have you ever wondered what lies within the dark abyss? For years, venturing into the deep was reserved for a few privileged scientists and military personnel. Now you can journey into the submerged realm where few have gone before. Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and nearby Malpello (Columbia) in the tropical Pacific, are perfect locations for the ultimate underwater adventure. The world-renowned waters explode with life including innumerable white tip reef sharks, schooling hammerhead sharks, dolphins, mantas and marbled rays, giant moray eels, sailfish, and, of course, the occasional whale shark. Join us on a deep sea submersible and shark diving experience of a lifetime!
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“There’s nothing like rolling into the water off the dinghy into a school of dozens of hammerhead sharks.“
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Mexico At least 100 great white sharks visit the volcanic island of Guadalupe between August and October every year. Our unique photography experience offers virtually unlimited cage diving with the great whites, in deep blue water with 25-40 metre visibility. By descending in a submersible cage into the shark’s world their behaviour is natural and relaxed. An amazing experience for both divers and non-divers. The giant Pacific mantas at Socorro Island are possibly the most majestic creatures in the ocean. At Socorro these giants choose to interact, coming in very close, making eye contact and swimming alongside the divers – totally on their terms. Even more extraordinary is the local population of bottlenose dolphins that have learnt to mimic the giant mantas, moving in close to the divers too.
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“Reaching lengths of more than 6 meters (20 ft) and weighing up to 2,240 kilograms (4,938 lb), the great white shark is arguably the world’s largest known predatory fish. “
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Pacific Ocean Expect the unexpected on our Pacific Ocean adventures into the spectacular tropical rainforests, volcanic landscapes and hidden villages of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga and the Solomon Islands. Far away from the trappings of modern life, we plunge into the simplistic beauty of these unspoiled Pacific islands and experience their unforgettable aromas, enchanting village people, exotic cultures and ancient traditions. Kayak beside deserted white sand beaches, snorkel the vibrant reefs in crystal clear waters, and experience world-class dive sites famous for their soft coral gardens. From deeply forested mountainous islands to low-lying coral atolls there are adventures here for explorers and underwater photographers alike.
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“Rich cultural traditions, warm hospitality, incredible marine encounters, breathtaking landscapes, along with pure luxury will dazzle your senses.� 68
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Whales Join one of our whale experiences and witness the world’s greatest underwater events. Watch the annual winter migration of the southern dwarf minke whale, north from the Antarctic through the warm tropical waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Nowhere else in the world does this occur. These incredible mammals come to the warm tropics to socialise, providing a unique wildlife experience for those lucky enough to join the adventure. Swim alongside a humpback whale and calf in the deep blue breeding grounds off the Vava’u Island group in Tonga or look right into the eye of a blue whale as it gently glides past. Snorkel on the surface of the water listening to the singing males below and watch orcas spy-hopping. Feel privileged being in the water with these wonderful giants.
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“At such moments, when time seems to stand still and the modern world is far away, even the most experienced photographer can forget to point and shoot.�
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Waterproof Expeditions Singel 292, 4381 VM Vlissingen, The Netherlands Phone +31 (0)118 435 885 info@waterproof-expeditions.com www.waterproof-expeditions.com
Amos Nachoum, Carlos Villoch, Erling Svensen, Franco Banfi, Goran Ehlme, Jurgen Schmitt, Kees Bastmeier, Magnus Elander, Mattieu Meur, Rinie van Meurs, Thomas Baechtold, Paul Nicklen, Udo van Dongen, Brian & Cherry Alexander Yachts: MY Hanse Explorer, MV Sherakhan, MY Atmosphere, SV Mandarin Siren, MV Pelagian, MV Conte Max
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We like to thank the following photographers for their support and everlasting enthusiasm to provide us with amazing images. It is our privilege to share with you the beautiful place we live in, through the eyes of the following passionate professionals: