I think of all the trips I went on in 2016 the Marine Mammals trip might have been my favourite. We spent 7 days aboard a sailboat cruising along the coast of British Columbia from the Johnstone Strait to the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The main species that we focus on are the Killer Whales, Humpback Whales, and the other marine life that call the coastal waters home. But to me, in the last two years, the Sea Otters have stolen the show.

Even though this is an adult Sea Otter, it evokes the “awww” reaction that baby animals normally create, they are just so darn cute. This one in particular looks like

Top 10 of 2016: #8 – Loving Life

he is Loving Life, with his arms behind his head, wrapped in kelp and a smile on his face, life just couldn’t be much better.

What’s even more spectacular about getting images of Sea Otters on the British Columbia coast, is that at one time they were extinct from this area. Between 1969 and 1972, there were 89 otters released on BC Coast with the hope of getting the species back in the waters in these areas. Estimates of the current population are around 5,000 Sea Otters on the BC Coast, which seems to be a stabilized number, as in recent years the numbers have not been growing as rapidly. Given that this animal was once extinct, it makes getting a great photo of one even more remarkable.

Another highlight of this image is that it was taken using the Canon 1dx Mark II and the 500mm f/4L IS II USM Lens with the 2x extender, which was one of the first times that I shot with this combination. Although this is not a lens combination that I would use all the time, as it does have a limited use, I am impressed with the sharpness and quality of this image. It just goes to show how far the equipment has come, especially now with the camera bodies having autofocus on all AF points as opposed to just centre point (or manual focus).

If you want to see more images from my Marine Mammals trip visit my journeys gallery here.