Encounter at Low Tide

Lunchtime: when the tide goes out, the table is set (click to enlarge).

During a shoreline paddle in the Gulf Islands earlier this year, I stopped to admire this busy character.  How could I resist the combination of a gorgeous fur coat and such skill at finding a delicious shellfish lunch underneath all that seaweed?

(If you click on the photo twice, to enlarge it to maximum size, you’ll see by those lovely teeth that the appreciation wasn’t exactly mutual. Just as well I was afloat in my kayak.)

I’m always fascinated to watch raccoons at work, using the keen sense of touch they have in their front paws to locate food, even in places where it looks all but impossible to find.

I admit, though: had I encountered the same character at home in my garden, I would not have been quite so charmed. Context is everything, isn’t it?

This image, along with many of my others, is available for purchase as stock photography from Alamy.