The Bald Eagle in the Aleutian Islands
Klaus Nigge
National Geographic Creative pour National Geographic Magazine
The Bald Eagle is unlike other eagles; it is the national symbol of the United States of America, so expectations are high.
As a bird it has the ordinary routine of life, in a world of rain and dirt, of skies bright and dark, hunting and fighting. The Bald Eagle is not always superior, brave, handsome and majestic, but can sometimes look scruffy, pathetic or frustrated.
Preview
I wanted to show the life of the Bald Eagle, so went to the Aleutian Islands (south-west of mainland Alaska), home to one of the largest populations of Bald Eagles. Here conditions are tough: it is either raining or just lousy weather.
Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island is the biggest fishing port in the United States. The eagles often scavenge scraps and rejects from the local fishing industry, and many are used to humans sharing their environment, so are not shy – an ideal opportunity for close-range, intimate photography.
Klaus Nigge
The story was shot for *National Geographic *
