On my most recent Hokkaido photography workshop adventure, I spent three days on a chartered vessel focusing on raptors and other Hokkaido avian wildlife.  One raptor that commands attention while I'm in the field is the Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus).  These incredible raptors are among the largest diurnal birds of prey in the world. With an average weight of up to 10 kg (22 pounds), they are the heaviest raptors on Earth, standing nearly 94 cm (3 feet) tall and boasting a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet); their commanding presence is a sight to behold. Males and females have the same striking plumage—a mix of blackish-brown with white accents on their shoulders, rump, tail, thighs, and forehead—combined with their massive yellow, razor-sharp hooked bills, make them both fearsome predators and majestic photographic subjects.  Their sheer power and unrelenting pursuit of prey are mesmerizing to witness and capture through the lens. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, but females are generally 20 to 30 percent heavier.
A few years ago, I photographed a Steller's Sea Eagle I swear had a wingspan eclipsing 3 meters (10 feet) that I spotted from my chartered helicopter while I was on assignment, capturing landscape shots between Hokkaido and Russia.  Suddenly, this enormous blur of white and black strafed us. Both the pilot and I were astounded at the size of the monstrous Steller's Sea Eagle, which could have been the largest Steller's Sea Eagle on the planet ever photographed. Still, this year, while I was in Hokkaido, I spotted and photographed a female juvenile Steller's Sea Eagle that I am positive will eventually take the title of the largest Steller's I have ever spotted.  In the photo attached below, you can see for yourself.