I had a little surprise on my May 23rd site visit in Seward, Alaska. I had to re-create the scene of a diver fatality and place a fully equipped mannequin on the exact spot near Fox Island Spit. Conditions were about 55 degrees air temperature, 39 degrees water temperature, fully snow capped mountains right down to sea level, ice bergs, and surface ice. (The boat crew forgot to load my dry suit!) Once I placed the “body” on the bottom with another diver and began to photograph it for trial exhibits, a 14-foot, 2400-pound Stellar sea lion male made a pass at me with my bare head, shoulders, and arms all in the water and my Subal underwater camera housing in my hands. I was glued to the viewfinder when suddenly I had a very close encounter. The other crew on the boat soiled themselves and were certain that I was going to have my head and upper extremities bitten off. This damn thing was the size of an orca. I never saw it coming. Chaos reigned briefly. And like a true professional… I got a couple of shots.

Enjoy. I’m still doing my laundry.
Work “in the field” is sometimes exciting.

Bret

He decides to let me live….I subsequently freeze to death

He decides to let me live….I subsequently freeze to death

14-ft. 2400-lb. Stellar sea lion male checks me out from about 18 inches from the camera dome

14-ft. 2400-lb. Stellar sea lion male checks me out from about 18 inches
from the camera dome

I photograph the “body” in position in ten feet of water with my bare head, shoulders, and arms in the 39 degree water holding my camera housing

I photograph the “body” in position in ten feet of water with my bare head, shoulders, and arms in the 39 degree water holding my camera housing

Buoy marks the body

Buoy marks the body

The “ body” gets ready to go over at the fatality site

The “ body” gets ready to go over at the fatality site

The prevailing “tropical “ conditions

The prevailing “tropical “ conditions

 Approaching the fatality site

Approaching the fatality site

 

 

All in a day’s work…talk about “ shrinkage’!
Bret

Bret Gilliam
OCEAN TECH
54 Stonetree Rd.
Arrowsic, ME 04530