Graves Rock, Gulf of Alaska, Alaska – Image 2657

This was a tough shoot. I waited three years for everything to align. I was working on my book on Glacier Bay and had known of this sea lion rookery with an incredible back drop of the Fairweathers at Graves Rock. I knew I wanted this image. But, getting to this place is almost impossible. For most people, Grave Rock is at the edge of the known world where no one goes except the local commercial fishermen. Graves Rock is located on the outside coast of Glacier Bay past Cape Spencer going north up the coast and is exposed to the open ocean of the Gulf of Alaska. I had to wait for the perfect day…a day clear enough to show the Fairweathers and calm enough for me to travel the 20 plus miles from Gull Cove to Graves Rock in an open 16-foot Lund skiff. I had tried several times but got turn back by the ocean while rounding Cape Spencer heading north. To do this shoot, I based myself out of my friend’s (Paul Johnson) Gull Cove Lodge located in the top of Idaho Inlet across Icy Strait from Glacier Bay. Enjoy the image and thanks for visiting. Camera body: Nikon F3, Lens: Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8, 35mm Fuji Velvia slide film, polarized, digitally scanned-Mark Kelley