If you were in any other boat, you would missed this guy completely. He was having lunch while I was getting hungry today about noon today.
http://home.comcast.net/~bernieswanson/critter.jpg
A GREAT Pic!
What camera did you use?
Bob
I shoot with the big guns…
A Canon to be precise.
This was with a Canon 10D digital SLR with a 100-400mm L IS zoom lens at the Mercer Slough in Bellevue, Washington.
you are right
NO jet-ski or speedboat would ever see this sight.
Like in Calif, I got so close to a sea-lion I could have touched it if I wanted.
They don’t see paddlers as a threat so they are more tolorant of us if we are quiet and careful.
Last December, we had a bald eagle pace us up the Salt River.
Not one stink-pot even knew that we HAD eagles in Arizona.
Wildlife
I’ve seen two hawks enjoying lunch while I was out paddling and walking. One was plucking and eating a seagull, the other was plucking and eating a pigeon. I didn’t have my camera with me both times. 
Still, it was pretty cool to see the hawks in action.
Waterproofing the 'Big Guns’
Again…a great pic…sitting on my desktop as we speak.
Were you using this camera while paddling? How do you handle waterproofing? I just purchased a Pentax Optio 43WR due to worries about water…
Bob
Where did you get
the picture of my sister-in-law?
I take risks
The only way I “waterproof” my camera equipment is to keep the wet side down and the dry side up on the kayak. I do take a risk of destroying several thousand dollars worth of equipment, but I mitigate that by what I bring and where I paddle. This particular does not allow power boats so I have only myself to blame if something gets wet. If I go out in open water, I bring my old digital point and shoot camera.
Bruce beat me to it. What is the
critter?
That little Critter…
That guy is a muskrat. They can hold their breath underwater up to 15 minutes. They are very difficult to spot due to their color and habitat. You have to have good eyes to spot them.
They barely make a ripple entering the water.
Cute! Is it sucking on a feed tube?
Sure looks like it. I guess the muskrats get spoiled too. Maybe they’ve seen too many yakkers getting water and liquid nutrient from a tube. Wonder where they get them… MRS?
–David.
Perhaps a nature photographer
Nature photographer without a paddle? - yes
Enclosed environment with camera? - yes
Which is it?
OK, you win, I am wrong
Your two examples are possible…
Just not in this case as it was taken yesterday from the cockpit of my kayak (with a paddle).