Tag Archives: Orca

Classic orca pose

orca posing
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This is a classic picture of a male orca (large dorsal fin) and a female orca a.k.a. killer whales or blackfish.  Growing up in Campbell River on Vancouver Island I knew orca as blackfish the name killer whales or orca became more common after the start of the Eco tours.  The area adjacent to Johnstone where we frequently view the orca is known as Blackfish Sound a name predating the operation of Eco tours.

 

Humpback feeding

lunge feeding
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An excellent photo taken by James Wendy of Australia showing the inside of a humpback whale’s mouth.  It is interesting to note that this whale came out of the water and held this position for close to thirty seconds while James manages to get several great pictures.  “Baleen is a strong, yet flexible material made out of keratin, a protein that is the same material that makes up our hair and fingernails. It is used by whales to filter their prey from the sea water.   Some baleen whales, like the humpback whale, feed by gulping large amounts of prey (in our area herring) and water and then using their tongue to force the water out in between the baleen plates.”About.com Marine Life

Spyhoping orca / killer whale

spy hopping orca
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It is said that an orca’s eyesight is equally good in or out of the water. In fact it is thought they use eyesight when ‘spyhopping’ to spot boats that may present a danger. Orca do not seem to fear boats but once a motor is turned off and no sound is coming from the boat it becomes harder for them to locate. “Orcas possess sophisticated underwater sonar that enables them to perceive their surroundings ten times more effectively than our most advanced equipment.” (http://www.orcafree.org) However a boat’s shallow draft may make it harder to locate and thus the need for an occasional spyhop.  Great photo from James Wendy of Australia.

Orca breaching

orca

Books on whales and dolphins are full of pictures of breaching mammals. It is hard to imagine the number of hours it took and pictures, which were taken prior to digital camera to get one good photo. Spending three to four months each summer working for Grizzly Bear Lodge with many of those whale watching I know that a breach is not that common.  The breaches that occur do not come with a five minute warning in fact most good photos are a result of “right place right time” with allot of luck added.

Killer whales (orca) passing astern

orca por passing
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The overcast day may not seem too appealing unless you think about taking pictures from a boat.  On bright days it is necessary to have the sun at your back or the reflection off the water will make picture taking difficult if not impossible. Marine mammals often change their direction of travel without notice and do not always cooperate in getting the boat in the right position. On a dull day their cooperation is not necessary. Again the motor in the picture is to provide an indication of the nearness of the orca pod.

 

Killer whales pass under the boat

Orca passing

As I have stated many time in this blog one of the most effective whale watching techniques is to do nothing.  Drifting while eating the picnic lunch we are often visited by humpback whales, steller sea lions, and harbour seals.  The orca (killer whale) is by nature curious and a stationery boat off to one side of a traveling pod is frequently a thing of interest. This photo demonstrates this philosophy as an orca passes beneath the boat and then returns to join its pod.

Second – TWO for one – orca coming

orca close
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I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time several years ago. The closeness to the boat is revealed in the fact that my camera is a “Pentax Optio with a 3X Optical Zoom” and I was not using much of the zoom. The “TWO for” aspect of the photo is the second orca under water to the left. Orcas are member of the dolphin family and as such are curious. On many occasions over the years I have seen orca change their direction of travel to come close to a boat and even make circles around the boat to check out the occupants. The “checking out” is obvious as they turn on their side to get a better view and on one occasion a spyhop about seven meter (20 feet) behind the boat.  Sometime sitting and waiting is the best option.

How close is too close?

Orca close

There is a marine regulation requiring boats to stay 100 meters from orca and this is enforced by Strait Watch and the Warden.  This day we were lucky to be sitting quietly as the orca were passing in shore of our boat when a female turned and left the pod she was traveling with and swam around and beneath our boat. The lucky part was that Strait Watch was sitting about fifty meters from us so we had the best witness that we were not approaching the orca.  Were we talking with them after the encounter and both agreed that the orca was likely fishing and approached our boat out of curiosity. The reason is not important the photos are what counts.  Definitely a bonus day.

Orca dive Set 1 of 2

orca divingorca tailorca tailOne of my favourite sequence or photos provided by Rob White from Australia.  I told him I had to have a set of the photos and was so happy when he obliged with an email. The sequence shows an orca aka “killer whale” passing close to the boat and a guest with a good eye and a fast finger.  I have never seen another set of photos like this and I have had many guests over the past twelve years.