Summer Cubs Special
2025 Dates: July 23rd - 29th (Spaces Available) | Guide: Kyle Moore | Location: Finland | Cost: £1,750.00
Trip Introduction
We welcome you to join us on an exclusive trip during Finnish summertime, as we stake out Europe’s greatest predators including adorable cubs. On this exciting adventure, we will visit one of the best locations in the world to observe Brown bear cubs alongside their mother in a natural environment. Finnish summer signals the arrival of long daylight hours, bringing magical light and crisp green vegetation. Working with long daylight hours, participants can expect extended unique photographic opportunities. Bear activity is extremely good during this time of year, and beautiful summer light allows a range of unique images. Warm days and cool nights can often produce ghostly mists, which slowly form above the swamps. It is here, where the ghosts of the forest appear most at home, as many different individual bears can be present in the area. Various bird species are present in the surrounding environment, including possible daytime excursions to view Owls depending on local breeding success. Plants are in full bloom during this season as the swamps are laiden with delicate cotton grass. Wolves can also visit the surrounding landscape if we are very lucky, and breeding birds such as White-Tailed Eagle, Greenshank and Goldeneye are also regularly present as well as a mixture of small passerine birds and Red Squirrels. Our main goal is to observe mothers with young cubs and photograph the interaction between them. We will focus on photographing the cubs play fighting, tree climbing and interacting naturally at this unique site.
Base Camp
Our base for this trip is a stunning lodge located in the picturesque surroundings of the Boreal forest. This location is renowned as one of the best places in the world to observe Brown Beasr cubs in the wild, as featured on BBC Planet Earth narrated by David Attenborough.
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We will arrive on an afternoon flight at Kajaani airport via Helsinki, where you will be met by your guide. A 2-hour transfer will follow, taking us to the Martinselkonen wilderness lodge where we will be based for the duration of the tour. Dinner is prepared for our arrival. After dinner the guide will deliver a short presentation detailing the week ahead. Our first night will be spent resting in our accommodation, after a day of traveling.
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Breakfast will be served early on, followed by a period of free time to spend as you wish. BearPhoto guides will offer optional daytime photographic opportunities including passerine birds and red squirrels. Feel free to explore the surrounding area, during the day as you wish. Dinner will be provided shortly after an optional presentation in the afternoon, at around 3:00pm. Your guides will lead you to your chosen hides for the night at 4:00pm. Sandwiches, flasks (tea/coffee) and bottled water will be provided for each individual whilst in the hide. Following a short drive and 1km walk to the hides, it is simply a case of getting set up, comfortable and waiting for the first Bears to appear. Each hide is equipped with basic beds and toilet facility. The following morning you will be escorted from your hides by the guides at 7:00am, followed by the short walk back to base camp where breakfast will be waiting. The following days and hide nights will all run in a similar pattern.
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This is the final day of the trip, and upon leaving the hides at 7:00 a.m. you will be guided back to basecamp one final time for breakfast. We will have just enough time for a shower and any last minute packing that may be required before our minibus arrives to transfer us back to Kajaani airport for our flights home.
Meet The Guide
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KYLE MOORE
Now on his 10th year working in Finland, Kyle’s knowledge on locations throughout Finland for Bear photography is unparalleled. When not in Finland, Kyle’s home is in the UK, where his passion for wildlife was ignited from a young age. Having quickly built up an impressive portfolio of wildlife images, Kyle's talent was soon recognised through some of the most prestigious wildlife photography competitions in the industry, which included a category win in the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) and being named overall winner of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, at the age of 18, both leading to live televised interviews on national news outlets. Kyle specialises in predatory mammal species, bears and foxes being personal favourites, and will often spend countless months on location immersing himself in the landscape, all in the aim of capturing the essence of his chosen species. Kyle has worked for the likes of the Canadian tourist board, BBC, and most recently Samsung. His work is represented by some of the world's leading photographic stock agencies, where his images are published worldwide.
HOW TO BOOk
To secure your space on this tour please click the ‘book now’ tab below and follow the payment instructions. All bookings require a £300.00 deposit per-person. Payment can be made securely online using all major card types. The remaining tour balance will be due approximately 12 weeks prior to the departure date. This will be confirmed in your booking confirmation.
Please read all the information, itinerary and tour details prior to booking. If you have any questions, please email us at info@bearphoto.co.uk