Most photographers during the winter dream of landscapes and wildlife in warm locations, but a few fellow photographers and I chose to head north to Alaska’s clear and cold coastal waters. This is where we would position ourselves for a few intense days of photographing bald eagles, sea otters, and other coastal wildlife in and around Kachemak Bay, Alaska. With five scheduled days of having our own private charter.
Anytime you’re near the coast, especially a northern coast like Alaska’s in winter, you can pretty much count on a mix of weather. I personally believe that great outdoor photography thrives on the atmosphere created by diverse weather, whether in landscapes or wildlife. So, rain, snow, and wind are as welcome as sunshine or just high overcast days. Allow me to revisit the wind part of that statement. When dealing with a small charter boat along a rugged coast, there can be times when the wind is too much, and our stay along the bay did include two high-wind small craft advisory days when any sane captain and crew would cancel time on the water. Time to regroup and find alternative photography plans. More on this later.
This time of year, “outside the breeding and nesting season of bald eagles,” these birds can be found in abundance all along these productive coastal waters, and this year was no different. With the abundance of eagles in the area, we spent the better part of three days on the water and along the shoreline around the bay, positioning ourselves to capture images of eagles in different settings and backgrounds. Whether perched on weathered old snags or surveying us from time-worn rocks of the bay’s coast, there were always eagles to photograph. Eagles in flight are among the more dramatic ways to photograph them, with the stunning backdrop of the snow- and ice-capped Kenai Mountains filling the remainder of our frames. Watching the ocean breeze, we could position ourselves to easily capture images of eagles twisting and banking in the air.
We made time each day to seek out secluded, smaller bays and coves to find sea otters casually going about their daily lives foraging, resting, and managing this season’s pups. It’s difficult to tire of these charismatic mustelids as they paddle along the surface of the bay’s languid waters. On the days when the winds kept us a shore, we could always count on finding a few cooperative sea otters taking advantage of the harbor’s quiet waters, where we could focus our cameras on doting mother otters caring for whining pups or photograph otters feeding at the surface after returning from the depths with all sorts of fresh seafood.
When not on the water, we managed to spend some quality time photographing one of the area’s cow moose in beautiful evening light. An afternoon trip to the top of a bluff provided a chance to play hide and seek with a resident snowshoe hare. On our second wind-related day, we hit an area bird feeder for a chance to warm up to some boreal songbird photography. The feeders were active with colorful pine grosbeaks, raucous Canada jays, and the always bossy pine siskins. But I think most would say the highlight was the unmatched chance to photograph the boreal chickadees. Not many places you find do these birds present themselves in such numbers or so tolerant of a photographer wielding big glass at such close range.
Along with the great eagle and sea otter, photography had we also managed to find plenty of flocks of sea ducks that winter in these coastal waters. The trip also offered several opportunities to photograph harbor seals that surfaced near our boat, curious to see what we were up to.
I feel lucky to have had this chance to expose seven adventurous wildlife photographers to one of my favorite locations in Alaska. Everyone eagerly indulged in the beauty and wildlife at hand, producing superior images while enjoying the group camaraderie and a few of my jokes.
Much of the success of this photo safari is the boat captain. Our captain Justin’s knowledge of the area and the waters, as well as his good judgment, made our time on these Alaskan waters safe and extremely productive. I am already chomping at the bit to get back to Alaska to photograph and indulge in its natural beauty!
