Today’s was the day. Up until now, my wildlife sighting list included Stellar Sea Lions and Sea Otters. Now, my list includes more than I can list (here’s some for those who are interested: humpback whale, fin whale, stellar sea lions, sea otter, horned puffin, tufted puffin, countless sea birds, bald eagle).
I walked to the tour boat with my boss, gear in pack. As we boarded the ship, we immediately geared up and went to find the best spot for photos. I have never been on a boat this big, let alone on a boat this bog in the ocean. It came with it’s own complications, but also an incredible opportunity for photos. I immediately felt eyes on me as I sported double camera bodies, one with a 100-400 lens and a 24-105. I’m so blessed to be able to use this combination of my own gear and OASLC’s gear.
“Check the gear that girl’s got”
“That’s a heck of a lot of gear you’ve got there”
I absolutely love this feeling. The first time I could respond with, “I’m incredibly lucky, this is my job.” Taking that in is still kind of a shock to me. Today, for work I got to spend 6 hours on a boat and capture photos of a national park and the lives that call it home.
As a Biology nerd, I immediately geeks out as I spotted my first whale. A sleeping humpback that was taking breaths on the surface. Today was the day. Today was the day that I first got to be in the presence of a wild whale. A day I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. They’re so majestic, ginormous, beautiful, graceful… In all honesty, mesmerizing.
I’ll be honest with you, there’s too many photos to post here. Here are a select few favorites from Friday’s adventure.
Kaiti Grant 