Osprey Photo Workshops and Tours

Newfoundland Tours 2026
2026-07-09 19:00 - 2026-07-17 18:00 (America/New_York)
Puffins billing
Overview:
Two tours (9-17 July & 20-28 July 2026)
At the eastern edge of North America where the sun rises first, you will find the island of Newfoundland Canada with a dramatic coastline, rugged cliffs, sea stacks, natural harbors plus sweeping barren and boreal forests. The waters are rich with food for millions of seabirds, fish, and whales. Millions of puffins, murres, and gannets nest on its cliffs, island, and sea stacks.
Newfoundland is one of my favorite places to photograph. My first and second visits were in 2004 with a photo tour in 2005. In 2023 I returned again and have not been able to get the location out of my mind. There are so many subjects to photograph, both landscapes and wildlife. I love being able to explore areas without the crowds that are found in many popular destinations, including in U.S. national parks. So in 2024 I organized and led two photo tours on the Avalon & Bonavista Peninsulas. They were so successful and productive, I decided to repeat them in 2026, just shifting the dates a bit for better chances of photographing whale activity.
Cape Spear fog rising.
As last summer, we will travel in a Chevy Suburban or similar vehicle. The number of participants is limited to 3 in each session so people will be comfortable while traveling and also due to the limited accommodations near where we will be photographing. Each person will have their own bedroom with a private bath in all but one remote location near St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve where we will spend two nights. To spend adequate time in each location, as in 2025 I limited the tour areas to ones with the greatest photo potential and limited travel time between sites- the Avalon and Bonavista Peninsula. I reserved accommodations in St. John’s, St. Brides (near dramatic cliffs with the largest gannet colony in North America) and the town of Bonavista. Each tour is scheduled for July, the best time for close encounters with whales and nesting seabirds. As I do with each. program, I will arrive before the first tour group and scout locations observing current conditions and the best opportunities for photography.

Avalon Peninsula
You will fly into St. John’s airport in Newfoundland and take a hotel shuttle to the Holiday Inn Express, Airport. From there we will branch out to other locations.. The itineraries cover the same territory but in slightly different order to be able to schedule the boat charter in Bonavista. On the first day of your tour, we will meet for an orientation when you will meet your fellow travelers and I will review travel plans.
St. John’s
St. John’s has a past stretching back centuries. Founded in 1497 by Italian explorer John Cabot, it is one of North America’s oldest European settlements. In older areas of the city, the narrow angular streets reflect a time when travel was by primarily by horse and carriages. The city has colorful architecture (the jelly bean and victorian style houses), well-preserved historic buildings, and unique communities such as Quidi Vidi. From St. John’s harbor, we will board a boat to photograph the shoreline and whales.
St. John’s Harbor with fog rolling in.
Signal Hill
Signal Hill was an integral part of the defense systems of St. John’s, protecting the harbor from the 1660s to the Second World War. On a lower level there is a visitor center. From its parking area, there is a road that climbs to the summit. From both levels, you can photograph panoramic views of the city, harbor, and Ft Amherst and the lighthouse at the entrance to the harbor. At the top of Signal Hill is a stone structure, Cabot Tower, erected to commemorate John Cabot’s historic voyage to the coast of North America in 1497. This was the earliest exploration of North America since the Norse landed at Vinland in the 11th century. It is also where the first transatlantic wireless signal was sent by Guglielmo Marconi.

Battery Hill
For protection, overlooking the harbor are several former batteries, i.e. gun emplacements for the defense of St. John’s. Although the guns emplacements are gone, there is a community called Battery Hill. Here colorful historic homes cling to cliffs above the harbor.
Houses clinging to the cliffs on Battery Hill.
Quidi Vidi
Quidi Vidi is a historic community in St. John’s. Its houses and piers are nestled along the shoreline of a narrow inlet where fishing/crabbing boats are tied up.
Quidi Vidi Harbor
Cape Spear
Cape Spear is a wind-blown headland at the most easterly point in North America. On it stands two lighthouses. Whales are often seen off-shore along the rocky coast. One of the lighthouses with the keeper’s house at the base is operational. The other lighthouse is the oldest in Newfoundland. Afterwards photographing here we will stop at the quaint town of Petty Harbor.
Cape Spear lower lighthouse from cliff
Witless Bay
On the Avalon Peninsula about an hour from our hotel in St John’s is Bay Bulls and Witless Bay Ecological Preserve where hundreds of thousands seabirds nest and raise their young on four islands. Located here is the largest colony of Atlantic puffins that exist in North America. The surrounding waters at times are frequented by Humpback, Killer and Minke whales plus other marine life. If conditions are favorable for photography, we will board one of the tour boats to explore this remarkable biodiverse area.
Atlantic Puffin carrying nesting material
Cape St. Mary’s
On the tip of the other side of the Avalon peninsula is the small community of St. Brides which is a short distance from St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve. After a brief stop at the visitor center, we will follow the footpath across a subarctic treeless plateau. It leads to a viewing location a few hundred meters from “Bird Rock”, a large sea stack with several thousand nesting gannets. The nearby cliff walls are also covered by nesting birds. We will be able to photograph the seabirds carrying nest materials, flying, courting, fighting over territory, and caring for young. As you follow the path towards Bird Rock, there are places to photograph the walls of the beautiful high cliffs where other seabirds nest including kittiwakes, murres, and guillemots.

St Brides
Nearby our hotel at St. Brides is a harbor where a number of fishing boats used by waterman to seasonally catch lobster and snow crabs.. It is an excellent place to photograph the workboats, gear, and fishermen.
St Brides Harbor in fog
Bonavista
Another area to be explored is Bonavista Peninsula several hours from St. John’s and St. Brides. On the way to the tip of the peninsula we will stop at the historic town of Trinity. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was a migratory and permanent fishing station. In later centuries the town became a major center of trade on the Notth East coast of Newfoundland. Today many structures of historic significance have been preserved. If road conditions permit, we will visit Fort Point Lighthouse.
Bonavista Lighthouse
In the town of Bonavista I have booked rooms at the Ellis B&B. I have rented the whole house with 4 bedrooms and with a view of the harbor and water. Incredible breakfasts are included. From here we can drive a short distance to check out Dungeon Provincial Park where from a grassy bluff you can see a massive crater created by the collapse of two sea arches eaten out by crashing waves. Also nearby is Spiller’s Cove where numerous sea stacks rise from the sea. This site includes the geological wonder, named the Chimney, a prominent unusual narrow and tall sea stack. We will also explore the area around the Cape Bonavista Lighthouse.
Atlantic Puffin collecting feather for burrow
Puffins
A short distance from our lodging in Bonavista, we will visit a puffin colony at Elliston where you can photograph the tiny birds from land. The majority nest on an off-shore rock a short distance from the cliff where we can photograph. Besides the bird activity on the rock, often puffins fly over to the mainland where you will be standing. At times, these handsomely marked birds casually hop past photographers, sometimes too close to photograph.
Also, while based in Bonavista, weather permitting, we will board our privately chartered boat (Seas the Day Tours) for exploration of Bonavista Bay hoping to photograph humpback whales when they first arrive in the area following one of their favorite foods, capelin.
Humpback Whale diving in front of Bonavista Lighthouse
The itinerary for each tour follows. The itineraries are subject to change depending on what I find on the scouting trip, weather, safety, desires of the group.
Itinerary
ON = Overnight
First July TOUR
9 Jul: Arrival at St. John’s and orientation meeting (ON St. John’s Holiday Inn Express, Airport)
10-11 Jul: Explore St. John’s, Signal Hill, Quidi Vidi, Cape Spear, Petty Harbor, 2 boat trips to photograph seabirds and whales. (ON Holiday Inn Express, Airport)
12 Jul: Drive to St Brides to photograph Northern Gannets & St. Brides Harbor (ON Capeway Inn)
13 Jul: Photography of Gannets, St. Brides harbor and surroundings (ON St. Brides, Capeway Inn)
14 Jul: Drive to the town of Bonavista stopping at the town of Trinity (ON Ellis B&B)
15-16 Bonavista: Explore Bonavista area. (ON Ellis B&B).
Photograph puffins, Bonavista lighthouse, Dungeon Provincial Park, and Spillers Cove. Chartered boat trip to photograph whales & puffins at sea (sea conditions permitting).
17 Jul: Drive to St John’s with possible stop at local fishing village (ON St John’s Holiday Inn Express, Airport)
18 Jul: Depart for home.
Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve
Gannet face
Photographing gannets at St. Mary’s

2nd JULY TOUR
20 Jul: Arrive at St John’s & orientation meeting. (ON St John’s Holiday Inn Express, Airport)
21 Jul: Boat trip from Bay Bulls. Drive to St. Brides for Gannets at St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve and St. Brides Harbor. (ON: Capeway Inn)
22 Jul: Photography of gannets at St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve and St. Brides Harbor. (ON: St Brides, Capeway Inn)
23 Jul: Drive to the town of Bonavista, with a stop at Trinity on the way (ON Ellis B&B)
24-25 Jul: Bonavista area (ON Ellis B&B)
Photograph puffins, Bonavista lighthouse, Dungeon Provincial Park, and Spillers Cove. Chartered boat trip to photograph whales & puffins at sea (sea conditions permitting).
26Jul: Drive to St. John’s. Possible stop at local fishing village. (ON St. John’s Holiday Inn Express, Airport)
27 Jul: Explore St. John’s, Cape Spear, with O’Briens Boat trip to Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. (ON St. John’s Holiday Inn Express, Airport)
28 Jul: Boat trip from St. John’s harbor to photograph whales and the shoreline including Battery Hill. Visits to Signal Hill, Quidi Vidi, etc. (ON St. John’s Holiday Inn Express, Airport)
29 Jul: Depart for home
Puffins fighting
Limited to 3 people in each tour. Spaces fill rapidly.
Price
$500.00/ person deposit to reserve your spot. (If you cancel, a $250 fee will be deducted & the remaining funds will be returned.) The small number of people per tour forces me to adopt these terms.)
Total Cost: $5475/ person single accommodations. Total Cost: $5075/ person for double accommodations.
Price includes ground transportation for the entire tour while in Newfoundland, Canada, single accommodations, park fees, & 2 boat excursions. Personal items and food are not included.
4 % merchant fee for payment via credit card. Advise send check or use Zelle through your bank to mine. Address for my business account is isacilotto@aol.com

Cancellation Policy
Due to the small size of each tour limited to only 3 people and fund already committed, the following applies:
Deposit $500 to hold your sport (cancellation fee $250 fee)
FOR SINGLE ACCOMMODATIONS
First payment $2487.50 Because of the limited number of participants (3/tour) & money already outlaid, after this point, all payments already outlaid are forfeited. (The only exception is if I can fill your spot. Then you will receive a full refund) For tour 1, the payment is due on 9 Jan for tour 2, the payment is due 20 Jan.
Full payment is due at 120 days from start of tour (i.e. the remaining $2487.50). All payments are non-refundable unless I can fill your slot. For tour 1, the payment is due on 9 Mar. For tour 2, the payment is due 20 Mar. (The only exception is if I can fill your spot. Then you will receive a full refund)
FOR DOUBLE ACCOMMODATIONS the above schedule applies except your initial and final payment will be $ 2287.50
Notifications of cancellation must be in writing.
Medical circumstances or emergencies do not constitute grounds for exception to the cancellation policy nor does weather. Therefore, trip cancellation and interruption insurance is HIGHLY recommended. Travelers Insurance Company and others provide such policies at a reasonable rate. In the unlikely event that the trip is canceled due to insufficient enrollment, your money will be refunded in full, with the exception of expenses you personally incurred while preparing for the trip.
