BigAnimals Expeditions polar BEAr nursing And predation April & April 30-May 7, 2017

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1 Polar Bear nursing & Predation This journey will try your patience, test your endurance, and show you a world of unmatched beauty and frozen splendor that you couldn t possibly be prepared to understand. Join Big Animals at the top of the world to walk in the footsteps of polar bears and discover a place more spectacular than anything even in your wildest dreams.

2 in the golden rays of a late afternoon sun, a mother polar bear traverses the pack ice followed by her two cubs. The low angle of light from our day star strikes their translucent fur making it appear yellow instead of white, offsetting them from the monotone background of snow and ice. she sniffs at the air and the ice using her acute sense of smell to locate their next meal. like all children, her cubs are far more interested in playing than participating in the serious task at hand. she concentrates all her efforts on analyzing every molecule of Arctic air that enters her nostrils, searching for the lingering scent of a seal poking its head out through a breathing hole in the ice. The direction of her movement seems to be deliberate, indicating that she may have caught the scent of dinner. she looks back every so often to make sure her cubs are still following the general path she has created; they are, though a bit haphazardly in their attempt to both obey their mother and bother each other at the same time. The mother polar bear abruptly stops, homing in on the specific location generating the smell of her prey, then picks up her pace towards a breathing hole that she has yet to see but can undoubtedly smell. They soon arrive at their desired destination and they must now wait for the seal to return. And we wait with them. We have been following this trio on the pack ice for the last five hours and we are beyond cold. our feet are frozen despite layers of socks, our fingertips are numb, our backs are stiff, any exposed skin stings from the biting polar wind, and our intensely focused eyes crave rest. While we busy our minds with thoughts of the perfect image, the cubs occupy themselves as their mother diligently waits above this slushy hole in the ice. she looks over at them as if to disapprove of all their movement and say Quiet now, you re distracting me! This is a waiting game, and silence is important. it s only a matter of time before the seal must return through the ice so patience is key. Then suddenly in a flash of movement, the seal s head pops through the hole to take in the cold air and before the seal has any idea what is happening it s already too late to change course. This is the kind of action and excitement we have in store for you on this most epic of BigAnimals Expeditions to svalbard to observe and document polar bear hunting behavior.

3 We offer this exclusive journey during the peak of the polar bear s hunting season from the end of april to the beginning of May. This experience is unlike anything that has been offered to the public before and until now has been exclusively available to large-scale professional productions such as BBC, national geographic, and imax. Amos has known and worked closely with this particular outfitter in svalbard for the last twenty years and they are the absolute best at what they do. They will make sure that you are fully geared to handle just about anything the Arctic environment could throw at you including providing each guest with a personal snowmobile, helmet, gloves, goggles, boots, water and wind-proof survival suit, and even survival training. These guides have an unprecedented level of expertise and are highly sought after for high stakes shooting assignments and costly productions. There is no better way to observe polar bears hunting in their natural environment of frozen snow and ice than with this Big Animals expedition to our polar north. Join Big Animals at the top of the world to walk in the footsteps of polar bears and discover a place more spectacular than anything even in your wildest dreams. There is only space for two or three guests and we like to keep it this way for a variety of reasons. overcrowding is a chronic problem for photographers looking to capture natural animal behaviors and unique images, and our small expedition size ensures that will never be an issue. it also means that each guest will have a uniquely personal experience and the absolute best chances possible to capture rare images and footage of polar bears hunting. Most importantly, a small group is far less likely to disturb the bears in comparison to a large one, and this is critical for the sustainability of the activity. We must not alter their environment or change their behavior in any way, so we will remain a minimum of 200 feet away from the bears at all times. Accommodations are not for the faint of heart and can be rather grim at times. since we will be traveling across a gigantic frozen ord, our lodging each night will depend on where the bears are and how far we followed them. in northern svalbard, we will be staying in a deserted russian coalmining town in an austere cement building with minimal running water and simple beds. in the south we will overnight in spartan hunter s huts that are small, chilly, a bit smelly, and require a warm sleeping bag. We spend 8-14 hours a day out on the ice and carry with us absolutely everything we could possibly need such as food, drinks, communication, first aid supplies, etc. The late afternoon and early evening light is the most beautiful and is typically when the bears are out hunting because it s cooler and the sun is lower. These golden hours are flawless for photography and produce the most spectacular images imaginable. in this incredibly harsh yet surprisingly fragile northern polar region of our planet, be prepared to partake in an adventure that will forever change your perspective on travel. This journey will try your patience, test your endurance, and show you a world of unmatched beauty and frozen splendor that you couldn t possibly be prepared to understand.

4 polar BEAr nursing And predation Apr & Apr 30-May 7, 2017 svalbard frozen ArCTiC EXpEriEnCE: 15 years WhErE: svalbard, norway dates: Apr & Apr 30-May 7, 2017 duration: 8 days MAX no. of guests: 2 or 3 pricing: 2 guests: $28,800 per person 3 guests: $19,800 per person AMos nachoum Expedition leader Amos has over 30 years experience as a wildlife adventure guide, and 18 years experience diving in Antarctica. professional photography will be done with Amos nachoum, who was the BBC wildlife photographer of the year in 2007 and he will be coaching individuals on wide-angle and ambient-light photography of big animals. Amos explorations have been featured on national geo, BBC and the discovery Channel. BigAnimals Expeditions recreates the same adventures and photo opportunities for you. Amos uses his leadership and photography skills to artfully capture the lives of ocean giants whose existence is under threat, but whose hope of survival is linked to us communicating the truth. BigAnimals Expeditions are designed to add value to your life experience, to generate attention for endangered species, to aid in their preservation and to provoke public awareness and opinion. Enhance your photographic skills with Amos. The Experience is priceless! BigAnimals unique services raising the bar of services in every adventure we operate around the world is our policy. We lead by example with immaculate safety record. Each wildlife expedition is carefully scouted before offered to the public and we schedule departures only during peak animal presence and behavior displays, led by Amos nachoum s and based on his 35 years of diving and photographing ocean giants. our svalbard Arctic Expedition is strictly limited to only 3 privileged guests. This is with consideration of the animals welfare and behavior, your safety and provides you with room to move freely, ample space in which to photograph and film, with personalized attention and advice. registration: deposit 2 guests $9,600 p.p. / 3 guests $6,600 p.p. logistics: Moving on the ice snow mobile and sleds ACCoMModATions: hunter hut and Tent ACTiviTiEs: photography, polar bear mother and cubs, nursing, predation TEMpErATurE: Topside daytime -5C to 25C, night time -20c to -40c Trip price includes: 6 days on the ice, all accommodations and meals 2 hotel nights at longyearbyen Charging station, camera and computer driving equipment each person have private snow mobile All extreme weather clothing, protective overall outer shell, boots, helmet, driving goggles, gloves, extra camera cases and padding one expert guide one professional photographer Amos nachoum Trip price EXCludEs: international and domestic flight overweight of luggage Meals, which are not specified above insurance health and gear. it is mandatory that you will have your own health, travel and diving insurance items of personal nature (laundry, phone call, drinks) Addition al cost incurred due to personal travel arrangement gratuities

5 POLAR BEAR NURSING & PREDATION ITINERARY > April & April 30-May 7, 2017 DAY 1 April 23 or 30 fly into longyearbyen svalbard and transfer to our 5 starts designated hotel DAY 2 April 24 or MAy 1 Early morning move to staging area check all our cold weather gear. have a fast course in snow Mobile driving; pack our personal, cameras and team gear, fuel, and food on sleds. There are two main areas for shadowing and filming polar Bear. Both areas are strict control, and permit required. The selection which area will be prime for photography to be decided at the time of our arrival. Based on the selected zone of operation our accommodation will be either at hunter huts or in the reviving russian hotel style, equal to half star heated, no water and limited food. DAY 3-6 April or MAy 2-5 Everyday our experienced guide (they are the best the field leading the BBC, ng and other Tv productions) will decide which hours we shall operate morning or afternoon, following other guides report we shall go for 10 to 14 hours daily, in search and shadowing female with her one or two cubs. We stop on the way for quick camping style meals and hot tea, while we continue searching When we spot a bear family, the guide will instruct us on the next step, either we move together or we move our camera gear on one sled, leave our vehicle behind climb on the guide sled and get close and as quiet as possible to the Bear assemble our tripod and camera and wait quietly and with lots of patience we will do it few times a day till we have our moment. DAY 7 April 29 or MAy 6 After day in search and hopefully few good sighting we start making our way back to town longyearbyen. return our borrowed clothing gear and the trusted snow mobile that served us so well. After good shower in hot water, we meet for farewell dinner at your 5 stars hotel. DAY 8 April 30 or MAy 7 Transfer according to your flight to airport for you next destination. payment policy And deposit: When we receive your deposit, we will send you a comprehensive and detailed Trip preparation Bulletin about the experience and the destination. All trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed. A deposit of 33% of the total trip price is required to secure space on the trip. full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure. We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full by 60 days before departure. CAnCEllATion policy -Must be made in writing. -More than 90 days before trip: deposit will be refunded in full. -90 days or less before trip: deposit will be refunded if space is sold, less unrecoverable costs of sales, and administration costs. -no refund is made for unused part of the itinerary. The following are subject to change: -Cost of services which are not included in the expedition price -flight time and schedule -Weather, water temperature, and animal behavior

6 Biganimals expeditions Polar Bear nursing and PreDatIon april & april 30-may 7, 2017 ApplicAtion Form expedition Polar Bear nursing and Predation expeditions Dates: april & april 30-may 7, 2017 Personal InformatIon first name last name Date of Birth Gender: female male address City state Zip Work Phone Home Phone Citizen of Passport # Place Issued & Date trip price for 2 guests $28,800 per person, for 3 guests $19,800 per person. Deposit of 1/3 is required to secure space, $9,600/$6,600 p.p. respectively, non-refundable. final payment due 90 days before departure. $ Please make your check payment to Biganimals expeditions, 189 evans ave #a, Pacific Grove, Ca overseas payment can be done via bank wire, instructions will be sent to you upon receipt of this application. Promotional code travel insurance: Yes no Provider Policy # travel insurance is prerequisite and mandatory on Biganimals adventures. We need to have your policy number.. How do you rate your Photography and/or Video skills? no interest Beginner Inter advanced expert Biganimals.com info@biganimals.com 189 evans ave #a, Pacific Grove, Ca Phone amos nachoum PHotoGraPHY