A bright red and green channel buoy rides the gray water of an Alaskan inlet, its base crowded with Steller sea lions hauled out to rest. Below them, a younger sea lion surfaces alongside, looking up at the occupied platform with no room to spare. A gull perches at the very top, and behind them snow-capped peaks rise above dark, forested slopes.
The vivid colors of the buoy stand out cheerfully against the cool northern palette of water, mountain, and sky. It is a scene full of character and quiet humor, the elders firmly in possession of the best seat in the harbor while the youngster waits its turn, a small drama of rank and patience played out in one of the most beautiful waterways in the world.
