Crouched down low I waited for the Otter to dive. He took a while to crunch through the crab but eventually disappeared with barely a ripple, his tail descending vertically behind him.
Despite many return trips to the Isle of Mull this was my first promising encounter with an Otter and I was determined not to mess it up. I crawled some 200 yards through Bladderwrack and rock pool, moving only when he was underwater, dropping to the ground before he surfaced with his catch. The process was mechanical and predictable… Wait for him to dive, scramble ahead for a count of ten and then hug the rocks and freeze until he surfaces, eats and dives again.
Sometimes fate smiles on my attempts and things go well, fortunately this was one of those moments. After spending several days island hopping around Mull I’d all but given up hope of a film-worthy Otter encounter and had filled my memory cards with good footage of Puffin, Guillemot and more, so this brief meeting was the icing on the cake.
‘Ocean, Island and the space between’ was created throughout the month of July, my latest Earthlight film to grace my website. Envisioned to portray the concept of the wild, restless sea contrasted with the sanctuary of island with a fecund, fertile littoral space between the two, the gathering of the clips took me from rockpool to clifftop, from open water to tiny islet. Three visits later, I had my film, but sadly Orca evaded me. Do let me know what you think of ‘Ocean, Island and the space between’ in the comments.
Awsome, thank you so much.
You are very welcome Andrea.
Mindblowingly beautiful. Speaks for its self. Food for the soul. Thank you Jason.
Thank you so much Barbara.
I love Ocean Land The Space Between.
The undulating sea at the beginning, the sea weed that looked like chocolate shavings, the geological column rock formations and the bright beak of the puffin.
Nice work Jason 😊
Thank you Kelly, I’m pleased it touched you and appreciate your thoughts here.
Very calming and soothing Jason, great filming, thank you.
Thank you Beverly, I’m pleased you enjoyed it.
I love it and want to go there myself if possible ( probably not….) to experience the place, its nature, weather and the people.
Thank you Ian. It’s quite an easy place to get to, especially if you’re able to camp.
beautiful film and how honoured to see an otter
Thank you Ali, yes I was very fortunate.
Utterly beautiful. Thank you.
Thank you Claire.
Magical, so beautiful to hear the sound of waves and such good filming Jason, love it!
Thank you for your kind words Sheila, I enjoyed every moment of being there.
What an amazing film Jason, mesmerising. Mull is such a magical place even in all weathers, thank you for sharing.
That’s kind of you to say, thank you Sharon. Yes, I love Mull in all weathers but it particularly suits the brooding sky.
Absolutely breathtaking Jason! The filming is so submersive I felt I was the observer!
I wish I could share with a few wildlife and Scotland devotees☺️
Thank you so much Stella, and yes, please do share the films. The more the merrier!
Amazing images of the spaces in between. Sounds mixed with the wind, the sea, and crashing onto the earth with musical effects just perfect. The best place to meditate. Thankyou for sharing. Please continue to film and share. Such a gift .
Thank you Pauline, yes there’ll be much more to come. I’m currently working on a new project to deliver yet more films, meditations and poetic pauses! 🙂
Ocean, Island and the Space Inbetween – simply beautiful and also amazing portraits of such dignified creatures. Thank you x
Thank you Jenny, I’m pleased you enjoyed the film.
Hi Jason, loved the film and music, especially the otter sequence.
Thanks for all your time and effort to prepare this.
HI Alan, thank you for this. Yes, I was blown away to get so close to the otter!
A wonderful observance of nature in it’s own space. I usually love to hear just the natural sounds of the sea, wind, rain, birds and animals, however your choices of music were inspired, not intrusive, especially the instruments that could be heard for the majestic otter.
Thank you.
Thank you for this Catherine. I always work hard to get the balance right between the natural sounds and anything I add. Sometimes I do get it wrong but I’m learning. I appreciate your comment here as it’s a point of learning for me right now.
Absolutely superb. I’ve had a very stressful morning and watching your film , brought me right down to chill mode. Loved the sound of the first wave of seaweed, it sounded crunchy as the waves washed over. Immensely absorbing. Thank you Jason 😊
That’s kind of you to say Carolyne, thank you. Yes, the sounds of those waves had me quite entranced.
Mesmerising Jason. Your stunning film really captures the wild remote beauty of these glorious islands. I especially loved the crackle of the seaweed and the graceful antics of the otter just quietly going about his daily routine. These delightful films are the perfect antidote to all the challenging issues we are bombarded with on our TV screens, social media etc. Thanks so much for another lovely interlude. 🙏
Thank you Kate. I’m pleased you see my films as a good antidote to the modern life, this has been my goal all along and something that is building into a larger whole.
How beautifully you portray your connectedness with the natural world and offer that mystical wonder to us through the sympathetic lens of your camera.
This is so kind of you to say Patsy, thank you.
Hypnotic, relaxing and beautiful. Music in the right places and the sounds of nature wash over the mind. Thank you I needed that !
This is lovely to hear Jewels, thank you.
Wow! Those Northern Lights! I missed the tip-off in the Coaching Call but at half past midnight, I noticed people were posting images on Instagram so I went outside. I wasn’t disappointed as the sky was a red/indigo colour. I’m hoping to see the full spectacle one evening soon. Thanks for capturing the show, Jason. 🙂🌌✨️