It’s Thursday and I don’t have a decent photo for this week’s Bradshaw’s Photo Highlight. “No problem,” I say to myself, I’ve got time to get something worthwhile. I head out to Suquash and I get nothing. I head out to Doreen Lake for a shot overlooking the North Island, but the weather turns to full blown snow up on the mountain. I get nothing. My last chance is a boat ride on a beautiful Thursday of February 2020.
I couldn’t have asked for better weather as the water was like glass. I had headed out with the intention of photographing a few eagles, but since the water is so calm I decided to go out to Buchholz Channel where last year most of the sea otters called home. I get to the spot and sure enough, there’s the same amount of otters there was last summer. I even recognized a few of the faces I had noticed last year. They were a little bit edgy as I approached in my 14’ skiff, and I quickly realized it was due to Benson, my Bernese Mountain dog, making them nervous.
I shut off the motor and drifted with the tide past them. The second time I did this, they seemed to be less nervous as they were closer to the boat. It seemed as though the older otters were more willing to be photographed, so I used a 100-400mm with a 1.4 extender on it to make sure I’m still keeping my distance.
Douglas Bradshaw has lived in the North Island for 33 years. He is a Landscape and Wildlife photographer based out of Port Alice B.C. His website is portalicephoto.com follow him on YouTube and Facebook at Port Alice Photography, Images by Douglas Bradshaw