¶This rusty old sea wall in St. Pete Beach is a favorite location of mine. It draws me back time and time again...and year after year. Pelicans are also frequent visitors of the wall and they're usually willing to sit fairly still while I awkwardly move around the rocks at the base of the wall with my gear in tow.
¶On the night of this photo, these three pelicans seemed to stay put for a particularly long time. The one on the right kept turning to me, like he had something to say. I was clueless to whatever he was trying to convey, trying to hold my balance on the rocks and focus on his eyes. My wife knew right away, of course, telling me as she approached my spot on the rocks.
¶All three flew away shortly after I captured this image, so I never saw it until I edited the photo in full resolution. Look closely—he's got a leader protruding from just behind his left leg, with a swivel and a bit of line dangling from it. I can't tell if there's a hook involved, but that feels like a reasonable assumption to me.
¶I loved this photograph before I knew about his predicament because it gave me a sense of technical satisfaction: three in a row, perfectly spaced, and nobody's pruning themself! And, bonus, that gaze!
¶Now it makes me a little sad every time I look at it.
¶I still love it though, because it reminds me of things that are important to me—wildlife and the environment—and the challenges they face.