I think this is a very cool image from my 2016 Marine Mammals trip, even though it wasn’t of one of the target species (i.e. “Marine Mammals”). This image is of a Black Oystercatcher that we had been photographing when we got skunked by Harbor Seals, so we were making the most out of our trek and were photographing birds instead. This bird was minding its own business, and looking for food on the rock, when suddenly a huge wave crashed against the rock, and if it wasn’t for the birds quick reaction it could have been really hammered by this wave.

It’s always amazing to see the instinct and reaction of animals in the wild. Had it been a human focused on eating on this rock, it probably would have been creamed by this strong wave, and carried out to sea.

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Taken: August 17, 2016
Location: Coast of British Columbia

Camera: Canon EOS-1D X
Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4x III Extender
Focal Length: 700mm
Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 320
Exposure: 1/2000