It’s always exciting to be in the wild and observe rare animals such as the Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi). I often check the monk seal’s favorite resting place when I go to Kaena Point (Oahu, Hawaii) for working with the Laysan Albatross and sometimes I’m fortunate to meet some basking seals on the shore, as happened on my last visit too.

This cute specimen of an endangered mammal was resting on a white coral rock surface when I tried to carefully approach it. I didn’t want to disturb the seal, so I put my big lens on my camera along with the extender, took some portrait shots and quickly left it to sunbathe further.

Gear: Canon EOS 7D, Canon 300mm F/4 lens, Canon 1.4x extender, Manfrotto tripod.