A short guide to good wildlife watching practices

Do you enjoy observing and photographing animals in their natural habitat? Here are a few tips to ensure you do so respectfully.

Be quiet
Be quiet and discreet so you don’t scare the animals. Also, try not to disturb your subjects to get a better picture. Attracting their attention could prevent them from perceiving danger.

Preserve the environment
Take nothing but pictures and leave only your footprints behind. In other words, be mindful and limit your impact on nature. For example, never wander off marked trails and always pick up your garbage.

Avoid feeding the animals
Although you may think you’re doing the right thing by feeding the animals, doing so can lead to health problems. It can also cause them to become dependent on humans.

Keep your distance
Don’t stress out the animals by getting too close or chasing them. This could cause them to behave aggressively. Instead, use binoculars and a telephoto lens to capture your subjects from a safe distance in a non-threatening manner.

You can take many wildlife tours across the country to observe whales, bears, moose, beavers, seals, and more.