Meet Michelle Theall | Wildlife photographer and tour operator, author, and editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Theall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
When I started working for Alaska magazine, I posted a lot of images of wildlife. People would comment on them and say that they’d been to Alaska but hadn’t seen any of that…that they were disappointed they didn’t see a bear or bald eagle or whale. I wanted to make certain people didn’t miss out on those opportunities, especially those who were likely only going to make a trip to the state once in their lifetime. So, I started Wild Departures, which specializes in “home-run” wildlife viewing tours. We take visitors to the right places at the right times and even guarantee sightings. We started with Alaska and then expanded to tigers in India, African safaris, Antarctica penguins, and more. The small group tours provide intimate, close-up encounters, ideal for photographers, since we spend hours and hours with a particular species in order to truly observe it in its natural habitat.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a writer and photographer, I try to give the reader and viewer a visceral experience that’s as close to being in the landscape as possible. I want people to gasp and get goosebumps and sink deeply into the joy and wonder of a moment they might never experience, but will be inspired to do so if they can. I’ve found that the things you’re most interested in will be the things you’ll be successful in doing. I would have written about and photographed animals and wild places for free, and often times did just that in the beginning, until I realized I could make a living at it. The hardest part has been competing against the digital world and A.I. I’ve been in print publishing for 30 years, and that’s a dying industry. Fake photos are posted on social media every day. Everyone has a phone in their pockets to take photos. So, I adapted and added the tour business. Real experience in the field can’t be replaced. People still want to travel and see amazing things. Locations like Alaska sell themselves!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We just finished moving into our house in Kodiak, Alaska, an island off of mainland Alaska. I would say, come from mid-July through the end of September. I’d take them kayaking off the beach by our house to paddle with 40 or so harbor seals, sea otters, and puffins. Then, we’d go bear-viewing along the rivers and watch Kodiak brown bears and their cubs fish for salmon. After that, perhaps some berry-picking and a marine tour whale watching. For culture, we’d hit the Alutiiq Museum in town. Kodiak is an absolute paradise and the people who live here are the nicest you’ll find anywhere.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Photographer Tom Mangelson was the first to shoot the iconic image of a grizzly at Brooks Falls in Katmai catching a leaping salmon at a waterfall in his gaping jaws. I knew instantly I wanted to go there and take that same photo and see that happen. His image and those I saw in National Geographic growing up made me want to get out into nature and be a photographer. Otherwise, as a kid growing up in suburbia in large cities of Houston and Dallas, I had zero access to the natural world. My family didn’t camp or fish or hike. They were indoor mall, chain-restaurant kind of folks.

Website: www.wilddepartures.com AND www.michelletheall.com

Instagram: @wilddepartures

Facebook: @michelletheall

Youtube: @wilddepartures

Other: Portfolio of work: www.michelletheall.photoshelter.com