Tag Archives: Killer Whales

You know that this killer whales / orca is close when you realize my camera is a Pentax Optio Wpi 6MP and 3X Optical Zoom and does not have one of a “long lens”. Even better is the calf that is shadowing its mother.

The largest of the dolphins and one of the world’s most powerful predators does like to play around boats as do the pacific white sides of yesterday’s post. It is not uncommon to have killer whales / orca come along side the boat if you happen to be stopped as a pod is fishing in the area. I am not sure if the salmon are schooling under the boat for safety but I know that I once had one large (10 plus kilo – 25 lbs) spring salmon try to hide under my boat when there were killer whales in the area. That is me leaning over the side of the boat taking the picture.

Not much to add on this photo except that again we were in the right place at the right time. In part due to the skill of the guide but as I often say “I would rather have luck than skill when photographing wildlife”.

Killer whales (orcas) have a dorsal fin that is distinctive in that it is larger than most species relative to their body size. In fact, it is one of the characteristics used to identify individuals. Individual whales have slight variations in their fin shape. They also have distinctive nicks and scratches that help differentiate one individual from another. Additionally, killer whales have a whitish-grey patch of pigmentation on their back, just behind the dorsal fin called a saddle patch. Just like a human fingerprint, each saddle patch is different and these differences help tell the whales apart. The combination of the saddle patch and dorsal fin are used to identify whales on the water or in photographs.

As I have mentioned at other times in the blog I am always trying to get photos, which show the guest interacting with the wildlife. This time was close as I managed the guest in the corner of the boat and the top of a killer whales dorsal fin and the splash of another passing near the stern of the boat. The idea is that sometime we are close and I am just not always successful but then my photos are really not the important ones.

No it is not a “grainy” or “poor” photo it is an orca close to the boat on a misty morning. Some August mornings are like that, a little fog that burns off before noon. We call it “whales by braille” and although it makes it a little more challenging to locate the killer whales you get some interesting close up photos. Plus the whales tend to stay in the area for better “sunny” shots later in the day.

Again a nice view of whales or killer whales which are dolphins. Note the photo is clear of other boats which does make it more natural and attractive. Like us on a day on the water the orca are in no hurry just moving slowly down Blackfish Sound. Blackfish being another name use by the locals for killer whales. Killer whale is a “tourist” name as it is much more exciting than orca or blackfish.

Reporting a pectoral fin as an orca dorsal fin will lead to several days of radio talk about ones eye sight and value as a guide. The best policy is to make sure one see the “complete mammal” before reporting.