San Diego Wild Animal Park photo caravan tours

My wife and I will be in the area later this winter. We've been to

the park several times before so we know what to expect but I just

noticed that they have a 1 1/2 hour photo tour by truck(sponsored by

Kodak - can I use Provia?!). Is it worth the $98 per person? Is it

really for photographers (i.e., do they shut the engine off to

eliminate vibrations while folks are photographing) or for

snapshooters? Do they allow mono- or tripods? Any comments would be

helpful before we plunk down our two large.

They run them in flatbed trucks, you are right out there in the enclosures. I've seen from the perimeter - I'm cheap - that you are likely to have significantly better opportunities than are usually available from the perimeter, either the tram or the walking areas. I've seen them with rhinos right next to the trucks, etc. I don't know that they stop the engines at all, they seem to move about some. If you are going to be in the area for a couple of days, either the Park or Zoo or both, you might want to "join" the Zoo as it does provide some discounts and can cut admission costs significantly on multiple visits.

I was on one (the shorter one hour morning version) about a month ago. There were a lot of kids on board (incl. my daughter) and I was the only one with an SLR or a long lens. They drove to a couple different stops, chosen to be convenient for feeding cute baby rhinos etc rather than for being particularly photogenic. I don't recall shutting engine off, but it wasn't a problem for me. You do get close to some other animals that you might not otherwise though -- I got a couple close up shots of Cape Buffalo that I kind of like, but I think that was while the truck was moving.<div></div>

I have not been on this ride yet, but quite honestly, I don't see what kind of tour they can offer in such a small park. It only took me 1/2 day to walk the park and also take the train ride around it, and that included lunch and multiple stops to view the animals. Do some research on the SD Wide Animal Park before going there.

I visit Wild AP at least once a month and have found the park a fantastic place to photograph wildlife. The caravan tours are once in a lifetime opportunity and vary in length. Most photographers bring 300 MM+ telephotos but end up using wide angle zooms. There is nothing like a 15 foot tall giraffe with accacia breath trying to wrestle a carrot from your hand with a foot long tongue. This is probably not the photo opportunity you were expecting but it is a unique opportunity nonetheless.

 

The park also offers many opportunities to photograph captive and non captive wildlife with very big glass. I seldom experience the same photo opportunity twice. Be flexible.

 

Finally, after many visits, I still find new things to see and have enclosed the following description from the zoo's web site so you can make up your own mind. "This 2,200-acre facility, which opened to the public in 1972, is called the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The Park is a unique kind of zoo that has become home to more than 3,000 animals, including more than 120 species of mammals and more than 200 species of birds. Most of the Park's animals live in huge enclosures--up to 125 acres each, about the same size as the entire San Diego Zoo! "