The Steller’ sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) is a glacial relic that has survived several ice ages, somehow immune to the passage of time.  They have been around since the day of the dinosaurs, representing near evolutionary perfection.  A key to their evolutionary success may be their narrowly defined habitat and hunting grounds.  Most of the year, Steller’s Sea Eagles usually call northeastern Siberia their home, but during winter, Steller’s Sea Eagles venture down to the slightly warmer climate of Hokkaido, Japan, so if a once in a lifetime Steller’s photo op is what you’re after, you’ll need to make the pilgrimage to Hokkaido to make your dinosaur raptor dream a reality, and as many professional birding photographers know, a local or well-experienced Hokkaido workshop leader or guide is a necessity. 

These raptors have a razor sharp, wickedly hooked huge yellow bill that is the largest of all eagles.  They prefer the taste of sweet trout, salmon or other fish but will eat sea lions or just about any land species when fishing is slow.  Young human children and house pets such as dogs and cats are carefully watched when venturing out on their own when The Steller’s Sea Eagle and the White-tailed Eagle’s (Haliaeetus albicilla) food supply becomes scarce.  There are even fables of children going missing during these periods due to insufficient safety protocols being followed.  It's far too common that cats, dogs, and some young livestock and even deer go missing when the hunting is slow.  These birds have even been known to attack Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis), Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus), and often can be seen fighting with the fourth largest raptor on our planet, the White-tailed eagle.  But I have seen the Steller’s Sea Eagle and the White-tailed Eagle among other birds huddling for warmth against strong arctic cold blasts.  On some occasions while venturing out, I have been so close to a feasting bird that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and set me on edge, a mix of adrenaline and apprehension.  I had unwittingly entered the sphere of predation, me in a zodiac boat mere meters away, so close that I put down my NIKKOR 600mm f/4 and was able to photograph the Steller’s sea eagle with my second Z9 Nikon camera fitted with a 24-120mm Nikon lens-WOW that is close‼️  In that moment I felt I could be the next prey as a dinosaur contemporary set its eyes on me.  It was the birding experience of a lifetime, one that I hope and know will come again on my annual Hokkaido Photo Tour.