Best of 2018

Elephant seals fight for dominance during breeding season at Piedras Blancas. I went to California to spend time with these behemoths, each weighing more than 4,000 pounds. And after a few days, I started to learn a little about the secret life of elephant seal society. I'm revisiting some of my favorite photos of each year after Shutterfly disbanded my last photo website and others like it. This was my favorite wildlife pic of 2018. I hope you like them.

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Elephant seals are impossibly large, stretching 13 feet from their bulbous nose to their flippered feet. They are extremely vocal, bellowing and roaring nonstop except when they are sleeping. They have thick, scarred necks that absorb most of the punishment when the males wage war on the beaches. Even still, these fights can get bloody. 

Bulls square off in the surf at Piedras Blancas. I enjoyed spending long hours here waiting to capture little moments between these amazing animals. On the surface, it looks like not much is happening. The main activity is sleep. But after a while, you begin to pick up on the relationships and conflicts in the colony. These two were friendly.

Baby elephant seals now come in a convenient six-pack.

A seal kicks up a sandstorm with every breath while napping on the beach.

I caught the migration of gray whales off Monterey. Here two whales play with a superherd of Risso's dolphins. They spent more than an hour just hanging out together off Big Sur.

It was hard to see what the whales were doing from our boat. Here you can see one whale's fluke out of the water next to the second gray whale and some dolphins. But someone aboard launched a drone that captured just how much the gray whales seemed to relish the interaction with the dolphins. 

Mott's Landing is one of the best places I know to see sea otters. 

A snow-white Risso's dolphin looks unreal in the blue Pacific water. I was lucky to see a spectacle of hundreds of dolphins in a superpod off Big Sur. You didn't know where to aim the camera!

A California sea lion basks in the evening light. Yes, we know you are in charge in Monterey. I love them.

California has 17 billion people or something but you can still find picturesque scenes like this not far from Monterey.

A California ground squirrel pokes its nose out of its larder where it stores nuts for the winter.

I spent some time looking for eastern wildlife in the Smoky Mountains. Anyone who has been to Cades Cove probably recognizes this stately oak tree.

A coyote bides its time at a forest clearing patiently waiting for hunting opportunities in the Smokies. Have you ever seen a coyote sit still?

A Townsend's warbler was a pretty find while exploring one of the parks near Monterey.

I made my annual winter pilgrimage to Muscatatuck to look for these guys. River otters popped up on a log while fishing in a creek.

I got very lucky at Sharon Woods when an American mink came up to explore my side of the creek. I squeaked like a squirrel and the curious mink came closer. And then a backpacker's off-leash big dopey dog came running up to say hi to me and ruined the encounter. But that was OK. Who's a good boy? 

A little fawn pokes her head out of the tall grass at Fernald. Yes, I see you. We all can see you.

Spotty deer are always a welcome sight in the early summer. They are bundles of energy.

I won't say no to shooting backyard wildlife especially when it's my own back yard. A mama groundhog and her two kits were regular visitors that year.