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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Royal BC Museum; however all thoughts & opinions are my own.  It truly was an incredible exhibit to visit. 

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibit 

(Updated with 2024 dates)

If you are looking for a chance to getaway on a weekend trip soon, Victoria, British Columbia,  is so close – just a few hours away by boat and makes for a great getaway. This time of year is the time to visit Victoria as the crowds are light & prices are at their best in their off-season time. You’ll find many specials & discounts for hotels & transportation options to Victoria since it’s a quieter time of year. We were just in Victoria for a quick overnight & loved that we were able to check out some of the restaurants with rave reviews with shorter (or nonexistent) wait times, as well as being able to enjoy the museums and attractions without the crowds.

One of the must-see places on your Victoria itinerary definitely needs to be the Royal BC museum. I have been wanting to visit this museum for years, so I was excited to check it out with my girls last week. Head on over to read my review of the Royal BC museum (with tips & what to expect with kids) – it is so well-done with a number of interactive exhibits to keep kids entertained & providing so many great learning opportunities.

If you’re looking for a hotel location close to the Royal BC Museum, we recommend the Inn at Laurel Point or the Coast Victoria Hotel as locations that are close to both the ferry dock and the Royal BC Museum & both are located right on the water, too.

Limited Time Exhibit:

This is one of the best times to visit the museum, too, as they have a very unique & special traveling exhibit that is at the museum through June 2, 2024.  The exhibit is the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit . This exhibit is only here at the Royal BC Museum a very limited time – from March 1 – June 2, 2024! But it is a must-see exhibit – I’d highly recommend a visit for the whole family!

 

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit has traveled to Victoria on its worldwide tour from London’s Natural History Museum.  Over 45,000 photos were submitted for this contest & these are the top 100 images from photographers around the world.  The visual display of these images is what makes this exhibit so unique, I think, as each image is enlarged & backlit on a screen, which creates a stunning visual image with black walls & dark lighting. It just really makes each image stand out so clearly, so you can see all the tiny details in each of these photos.

My girls were 10 & 12 and I wasn’t sure what they would think of the photography exhibit, but it completely captured their attention. We spent over an hour wandering thru all of these photos and not only were we amazed by these striking images of wildlife, but my girls also loved hearing the stories behind the image & how the photographer was able to capture the perfect image. You just don’t realize how many hours  (& often days) photographers put into waiting for the perfect shot or the trials they go thru in trekking in to these out-of-the-way locations around the world.

Some of these animals & creatures are endangered, so an opportunity to see them in such a stunning image in their native environments really made them come to life for us.

My girls were especially drawn to the Young Wildlife Photographers section, featuring kids under the age of 18. It was so inspiring for my girls to see kids who have followed their passions & interests. Having their photos be displayed on a worldwide tour in such impressive venues with the best of the best nature photographers is such an accomplishment! My older daughter was so inspired by viewing all of these photos by young photographers that she has been trying her hand at more photography since our visit, too – I love that the exhibit sparked her creativity after seeing such a wide variety of styles in this exhibit.

This photo of a yellow wagtail bird was captured by an 8 year old boy in Estonia, two years younger than my daughter – she was in awe of the beauty of this image! {And I was in awe of the fact that an 8 year old took this photo – wow!} I loved the image next to it of the 2 baby owlets emerging from an old waste pipe in India, captured by a 10 year old boy. Such sweetness in those baby owl faces!

This was the photo selected as the grand title winner for the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year for 2018 by a 16 year old. Such a detailed image of the “Lounging Leopard” – the colors were so vibrant!

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit featured images from such a wide range of nature – everything from mammals, birds, reptiles & amphibians, urban wildlife, underwater animals & much more.

We enjoyed this interesting & funny photo documentary series about the life of a flamingo who’s no longer able to safely live in the wild & now lives in a wildlife shelter.

For those of you visiting with children, there is a section that may be harder for some kids (& adults) as they also wanted to show some of the grave issues facing wildlife in our society from the interactions of humans with wildlife. This Wildlife Photojournalist section is in the back of the exhibit with a sign that shares what the exhibit is about for you to determine beforehand if it’s something you want to look at.

For my girls, I felt this was an important part of the exhibit for them to see, as it made them more empathetic & understanding of the realities that wildlife face around the world. It really sparked some good discussions between us about the changes we can make in our lives to help wildlife & I felt this part of the exhibit was done in a very tasteful manner.

As you can see, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit was well-worth a visit for us as it was definitely a highlight of the whole Royal BC museum for my girls! Even with younger kids, I think their attention would be captured by the bright, stunning images of some of their favorite animals, birds, insects & more!

Victoria Clipper Package for Visiting the Museum for this Special Exhibit:

If you are in the Northwest & want to head up to visit Victoria for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit, make sure to check out the special package deal from Clipper Vacations. They have teamed up with the Royal BC Museum & the Best Western Carlton Plaza in Victoria to put together a package deal for you during the month of March while the exhibit is happening. Find all of the details on the Victoria Clipper website.

Let us know if you visit & what you think of the exhibit! 

More Information about Victoria BC:

Visiting Victoria with Kids

Tips for Visiting Victoria BC

Victoria BC Accommodations – Where to Stay & How to Save

Travel to Victoria BC – Tips & Ways to Save on Getting to Victoria

Note: No photos are allowed within the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit. I attended a special Social Media preview, which is why I am sharing photos from our visit to give you a better perspective about what the exhibit is like. However, you can visit the London Natural History Museum’s website which shares all of the images & the stories that accompany each image if you want to remember & find out more about the images after your visit.