Steller's Sea Lions

Steller's sea lions are a common sight while traveling through Alaska’s Inside Passage.  They are large powerful animals that call the Alaska coast home. The expansive rookeries can be heard far in the distance as they sort themselves out with a variety of vocalizations.

To photograph their rookeries you must be in a boat, careful not to intrude on their space and disturb them. Some days the surf can be bumpy and other days smooth.  Getting a sharp image is critical and a fast shutter speed imperative.

When photographing groups of animals depth-of-field is also something to be aware of.  We need a lot of depth-of-field to cover focus on all the members of the group.  

I compromised when shooting this image.  The boat was rocking more than I would have liked, but only noticeable when we were photographing. Shooting handheld with my 200-500mm zoom lens I knew I needed a shutter speed of at least 1/1250 to counteract the movement.  I wanted more depth-of-field than the F10 that I selected but didn’t want the ISO any higher so stayed with the F10.  I’m pleased with the results.

I love the poses of these animals.  The beach master proudly resting, the young female crawling on another sea lion who is protesting loudly her role as a walking path.  It’s exciting to watch all the activities in a colony of sea lions.

Information about this expedition can be found on my expedition website page.

Embrace the journey!