Surprised Sea Otter
This was one very remote place in Alaska; it doesn't even show up on a map. Alaska is huge, and I realized on this day, that no one, absolutely no one, knew where I was at that moment. I was staying at a terrific lodge on Kachemack Bay, which is about a 45 minute power boat ride from Homer. On this particular day, I had wanted to photograph sea otters. The lodge gave me a head start by strapping a kayak on a power boat, drove about half hour west and dumped me in a remote part of the bay. It was such a peaceful, wonderful feeling to sit low in the water and witness the amazing nature in Alaska. This poor little sea otter was asleep in a kelp bed. I didn't want to scare him, but I really wanted to get as close as I could to photograph him. He was sound asleep -- well -- until I got really close to him. Every time I look at this photograph, I giggle. He is just so adorable! Cohen Bay, Alaska. May 1995.