Cochin is the second most important city on the West Coast of India after Bombay. This gateway to the prosperous Indian state of Kerala is known as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea.” Fish are pulled from this sea by huge nets along the edge of the city. I found this grouping of egrets standing below those nets, waiting for a handout. Their white and gray feathers contrast to the rich and muted colors of the rope coils and machinery that surround tem.