I have been leading Hokkaido birding photo workshop tours for more than two decades, plus I keep a cottage in the region, and I am a Hokkaido local.  Since I was about six years years old, my apprenticeship as a deep backcountry world explorer began; I was born into an adventure and wilderness loving family.  Forty some years later, I continue adventuring and have explored much of the deep backcountry of Hokkaido, and believe me, life in the backcountry is worlds apart, especially for those people visiting Hokkaido with me VS visiting Hokkaido with your run of the mill tour company.  Safety is my main priority when leading any photo workshop or expedition worldwide.  My annual winter Hokkaido Photography workshop is no exception, where it’s a must to check weather charts not daily, but hourly!!!  As thunder snowstorms or bomb cyclones appear out of nowhere, but these storms make the perfect weather conditions that are required for the largest herd of Sika deer (Cervus nippon) on the planet to converge in one place. 

During these blizzards, the pack ice off the coast of of Hokkaido sinks below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, and fully resurfaces about half a day after a storm.  Also, during these storms, one hundred percent no boats are going out to photograph the raptors, also most of the raptors have taken shelter on the mainland or on Russian held island.  But once the weather changes to clear sunny skies and and fair winds the raptors are back out of the pack ice, that they use as their fishing platform, and most raptors sleep on overnight.   Raptors are very territorial, so how do the Steller’s Sea Eagles (Haliaeetus pelagicus) and their Hokkaido endemic cousins the White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) warn potential intruders that they are venturing too close to their domain?  One of the first steps the Steller’s Sea Eagles make instead of their usual ‘kak, kak, kak, kak’ is vocalizing in a higher or sharper pitch.  I understand that being lost in the heat of the photographic moment in a zodiac boat, that a person unskilled in understanding this one behavior may not be aware or able to filter out the higher pitched vocalizing among the sounds of a raptor feeding frenzy, but the warnings don’t stop there.  Steller’s Sea Eagles and other raptors also posture or fluff up their feathers.  Considering the median wingspan of the Steller’s Sea Eagle is more than two meters (approximately 7 feet), when they start posturing, it’s hard to miss.  But again, to the untrained wildlife birding photographer on a Hokkaido photo tour, this too, may go unnoticed.  I have spent countless months and years in the Canadian bush and in off the beaten path locations around the world, so I am attuned to blending into avian wildlife, not bumping into it and rankling its feathers as some visiting photographers do.  The final stage of Steller’s Sea Eagle defensive behavior is the most dangerous, dive bombing and using its wicked sharp, hooked bill and razor sharp talons to attack.  When the Hokkaido Pacific Ocean is calm, I sometimes use Zodiac boats for Steller’s sea eagle photography on the pack ice, and for safety’s sake, I make sure each participant has either a monopod or paddle beside them, and I explain what may occur, and they know to lift it in the event a raptor goes on the offense over us.  Raptors will attack the tallest object rather than the person, also, each participant knows to only use the tools defensively, and not to swing.  I am happy to say to this day, no one on any of my Hokkaido photo workshops, or any other workshop has ever been injured, as safety is paramount, and my goal for every workshop is to bring everyone back Covid-safe and sound with a memory card full of once in a lifetime images.