This Humpback Whale has just come up from under a school of baitfish and hopefully got a mouthful of fish. The photo captures the moment that the whale has closed his mouth and forced a burst of water out through his baleen.
Tag Archives: humpback
The views at Sailcone pt3
Lunch is served on the whale watching trip. On a calm day nothing beats tying up to a kelp bed and watching humpbacks while you enjoy your packed lunch. It looks like there is a humpback incoming
Whale Tail
Thanks to Felix (felixrome.smugmug.com/) for this photo of a rolling Humpback Whale cruising in Johnstone Strait. A different perspective indeed.
Humpback Whale ID
The Humpback Whales that frequent the waters near the lodge are migratory. Most of the whales in our area head to Hawaii in the winter to mate and have their calves. Biologists are able to identify these whales by taking pictures of the underside of their fluke (tail). These markings are unique and once the whale is mature will not change. They are catalogued and separated according to region and the percentage of white and dark colours. This whale is known as “Guardian.” She is frequently spotted in our waters and has been returning for several years.
Herring Ball Pt2
Fish and birds aren’t the only ones who feed on herring balls. Humpbacks often do what is called a lunge feed where they come up from underneath the herring ball with their mouth open and try to consume as many fish as possible. Often when we are out whale watching you will see gulls feeding on a herring ball. When the birds lift off the water it usually means one of two things. Either the fish have dispersed or there is a whale coming up for a snack.
Sometimes the Wildlife Comes to Us
This is a picture of a Humpback Whale. We see Humpbacks quite often, so that in itself is not unusual. What is unique about this picture is that it is taken from the front deck at the lodge cruising by only a few meters from the beach. Sometimes it pays to stay put.
