The Harp Seal Watch

Each season - indeed, every day - our visits to the ice are different. Our journey to the seal herds may take anywhere from five minutes to one hour, providing wonderful views of the frozen Gulf of St. Lawrence from the air. We normally land amongst hundreds of seals, or, if ice conditions are poor, there may just be several individuals. When we approach the seals some may scurry away and others may bark at us like little puppy dogs. But others, still, may allow us to approach them carefully. Research has shown that this does not harm the animals and it is surely one of life’s greatest thrills! One helicopter flight is included in this program. Additional flights may be purchased directly on site. From the hotel, there are usually three scheduled flights to the ice per day; each is given a three-hour window. On inclement days, or if ice conditions require, groups may stay out on the ice for less time. Of course, all schedules depend on weather and equipment conditions as well as our (and other) travelers’ abilities and desires; if it is too cold, we may return early. Any additional flights booked on site will be scheduled in the order they were booked. Please note: Any time our helicopters depart from the landing pad en route to the seal herds, it may be counted as a “flight” whether we are able to locate the seals or not (in 25 years, we have a 90%-plus success rate, so this is rarely a factor). Should poor weather or ice conditions preclude our travelers from taking their scheduled helicopter flights, refunds will be made for the cost of any additional helicopter trips that have been purchased on site (this applies to all flights AFTER the first one). Safety for our travelers, 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. While quick evacuation from the ice is rare, our many years of running seal-watching trips and flying helicopters in the northern environs (we’ve been working on Seal Watch since the 80’s) has shown us that it can happen. We simply will not compromise safety! Due to unpredictable weather conditions, the remote location of this adventure, and the limited services available during this time of year, additional activities such as snowshoeing cannot be guaranteed.

When preparing for our Seal Watch season, we monitor the ice conditions in the Gulf throughout the winter. As we get closer to the departure date, we will make a determination on whether or not we feel the ice will be suitable to run for that season. Since ice can form in just a matter of days, we may not make that decision until just a few days prior to your trip. Please keep in mind that this “true adventure” requires travelers’ flexibility and understanding as we face a number of natural variables and unique challenges in our efforts to provide a safe, successful seal watching experience.