Two years ago, I was photographing a young moose out on the tidal flats outside of Anchorage. The tide was starting to come in, so I quit photographing hoping the moose would come back to dry land before it got stranded. Turnagin Arm has the second highest tides in the world (32feet between low and high tide). As I was putting my camera away and before I could drive off, several cars of tourists stopped and started taking photographs. I warned them that if they stayed to take photos, the moose would get stranded and drown. I was told off by the tourists. I got on the cell phone to call the Moose Rescue Team (yes we have one in Alaska). By the time they got to where the moose was, it was too late and the tourists were delighted to get photos of a moose dying in the water. I now try to ONLY photograph where the tourists don't go. I have always felt guilty over that moose because if the tourists wouldn't have seen me putting away my camera gear, they might not have seen the moose and it could have made it back to shore. A Bore Tide washed the moose out into the Ocean.


David Ramey Photography