This lunge photo was a second late. A humpback lunged toward the boat through the herring ball but has already closed its mouth. It should be more like tomorrow….
Whale Watching
We’re not all about the bears, whales are abundant here too!
Killer whales and humpback whales are often seen during our wildlife tours. There are resident whales and transient whales that can be seen feeding and playing in our waters.
Waiting for? 1 of 2
As a guide and blogger for the camp I try to get interesting shots that give me something to talk about. In this case it is a guest ready for a photo. What is so interesting about seagulls? For a guide the gulls are one of the most important sites on a whale watching tour. Herring are one of the main foods for humpback whales. Ducks feeding on herring force them into a tight ball that may vary in size from basketball to boat size. As the ball rotates it tends to move toward the surface, which in turn attracts the gulls to feed. It also attracts humpbacks that lunge up and try to take the ball in one mouth full. Tomorrow….
Bald Eagle Soaring
Depending on the time of the season bald eagle may or not be abundant. By late August through October the most of the eagles have moved away from their ocean feeding grounds to the rivers that are full of spawning salmon. Birds of prey find it much easier to feed on dying or dead salmon than to catch live food (herring or small salmon) and they use fewer calories. Fortunately our grizzly bear viewing tours are on such a river so eagles are available for good photos all season.
Got it!!
Hard to believe that the whale breached twice in a row. That is often the reason one gets a good photo because you are now prepared. Do not think that a long lens is necessary I use a waterproof Pentax Optio Wpi 6MP with a 3X Optical Zoom. A good lens is better but over the past few years I have seen some great photos taken on Phones and Tablets.
Trying for?
Unfortunately this is an all to common photo from a whale watching trip. Not to say that humpback whales do allot of breaching but rather that it is hard to get a good photo. In this photo it is possible to see a pectoral fin if you look real closely. But the splash is impressive. Tomorrow’s post is much better.
Steller Sea Lions
AKA Steller sea lion, Steller’s sea lion, northern sea lion are in are viewing area all year around but much more abundant in late May to early June on their way North and again in late August through September when returning south. These male Steller sea lions average a nose-to-tail length of 3 m (9 ft.) and weigh about 700 kg (1500 lbs.). When dry, Steller sea lions are a tan to golden-brown color and darken to a chocolate brown on their flippers and underside. They appear dark brown or black when wet.
Resident Killer Whales
Looks like a good photo of some resident killer whales until you look closely and realize that all the dorsal fins are not going in the same direction. Resident orcas are the ones that eat salmon. This was an occasion when they stopped travelling and started to feed. From this point on they stayed in the ripe tide off Craycroft Point and fed on salmon for over an hour. We turned off our engine and sat in the ripe while the orca fed all around the boat.
Best Series of Photos 3 of 3
However as the last photo shows that this is a killer whale (orca) not a humpback whale. Killer whales are identifies by their dorsal fin and the accompanying saddle patch. This last photo was actually the first is the series but if I had posted them in the correct order there would be nothing to write.
Best Series of Photos 2 of 3
The patterns of black on white on the underside of a tail is like a finger print in that it is unique to each whale…
Best Series of Photos 1 of 3
April and Rob of Cairns Australia visited Grizzly Bear Lodge in the summer of 2011 and took a series of photos which has always been one of my favourities. Photos of tails is one of the main identification tools for whales…
