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2017 Wildlife Photo Contest

M. angustirostris M. leonina, PIEDRAS BLANCAS ELEPHANT SEAL ROOKERY, California Highway 1 (Four miles north of Hearst Castle), United States of America
Male Dominance

Species: M. angustirostris M. leonina | Location: PIEDRAS BLANCAS ELEPHANT SEAL ROOKERY, California Highway 1 (Four miles north of Hearst Castle), United States of America

By John Bruckman

The Northern Elephant Seal is an extraordinary marine mammal. It spends eight to ten months a year in the open ocean, diving 1000 to 5800 feet deep for periods of fifteen minutes to two hours, and migrating thousands of miles, twice a year, to its land based rookery for birthing, breeding, molting and rest.

The dramatic winter season of the seals has begun. The huge males have arrived on the beaches at the Piedras Blancas, at the end of their long journey from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska where they have foraged to bulk up for over three months of fasting during the birthing and breeding season. After posturing and fighting to establish their territories, they have settled in (unless larger guys unseat them).

About The Photographer

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John C. Bruckman @ Innereye Photography John is an Organizational Psychologist with a long-term passion for photography and travel. He has worked and photographed in Asia, South America, Africa, Europe and the United States. One of the primary capabilities of a successful psychologist is a discerning and critical eye for people and their environs. This training and John’s international work with a variety of cultures has developed his “innereye” which perceives at an emotional level and interprets at an intellectual level. He is particularly sensitive to the nuances of light and how it plays out on the person or natural environment. In 2013, he moved back to the Monterey Bay Area, California and was captivated by one of the finest marine mammal reserves in the World. This opportunity resulted in his first published book: "Marine Mammals of the Monterey Bay" © 2014. Currently he is working on the second edition to be published in 2017. His second book is "California Sea Otters" published in 2015. In 2013, John traveled to Cuba to experience a nation that has been in a time warp for over 50 years given the policies of the two countries. The objective was to capture a slice of time in that country's' history before a change in the regime and diplomatic recognition by the United States. It has been two years in the making. "This pictorial essay explores the life and culture of Cuba prior to U.S. recognition and the passing of the Castro brothers. The country will be profoundly changed. It also is a major positive turning point in the diplomatic relations between the United States and southern hemisphere of Hispanic nations.” "República de Cuba" was self-published by Innereye Press © 2015. Copies of both books are available for purchase. Please contact us at: john@jbruckman.com. To preview his complete photo portfolio, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/innereye/sets
Check out John’s photography website: www.flickr.com/photos/innereye/sets
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