Day 4: Thar' be WhalesSo far, our trip had been filled with beautiful mountain panoramas, enormous glaciers, colorful icebergs, towering waterfalls and much more. We’d seen remarkable and gorgeous wildlife, but on this Tuesday morning we would experience something that few are ever able to be see. As we navigate around the southern corner of Admiralty Island toward Baranoff Island, off in the distance Captain Tom sees the water spouts of Humpback Whales breathing. Click image to enlarge I’ve been on a few whale watching tours in the Northwest and Sea of Cortez. I’ve seen many whales breach, spy hop and dive. Its a marvelous site to see. I never tire of observing these magnificent and mighty 70,000 pound creatures rise from the sea, turn, twist and dive. I love how they slap their fins and roll. The reasons for these behaviors are as mysterious and unknown as the meanings in their sounds and songs. On this warm beautiful sunny morning though, with calm seas and stunning mountains visible in the background, we would be provided a show like nothing any of us had ever seen, including Tom and Tish. I quickly learned that anytime Captain Tom suddenly decelerated and stopped the boat, it meant there was something wonderful to see. If my camera were not already in my hand, I would quickly grab it. This happened frequently during our trip. As we slowed to a complete stop about 150 to 200 yards from the whales, we all rushed out on deck. We noticed there were a couple more off in the distance as well, but the two that Tom first spotted were slowly moving closer toward our boat. Click image to enlarge I fired off shot after shot of breaches, fin slaps and flukes disappearing into the sea. Soon though, our two new friends were moving even closer. After a few breaches, each whale would take a break and catch their breath. We could hear the deep sound of their exhaling and inhaling. As the minutes passed, there seemed to be a increasing level of trust between us and the whales. They were exhibiting more spy hopping, rolling and fin slapping behavior. When they dove, they would breach closer towards the boat. They were breaching so near that I feared the splash would drench me and my camera. We estimated that a few times they came much closer than 30 feet away, appearing from the water so quickly that it was nearly impossible to turn, focus and shoot. A few times, one breached so close, it was only a few feet off the bow. My lens could only capture a very small portion of the whale within the frame. I believe the most astonishing thing was how unafraid of us these whales were. We seemed to have formed a bond and level of trust. They were enjoying being around us for this hour as much as we enjoyed watching them. We were in complete awe of the beauty and magnificence of our new friends, cheering with every breach and fin slap. In a couple images at the bottom of the page, the whale is rolling on its back, next to the boat. Its tail is brushing up against the hull. Click image to enlarge Once Tom determined it was time to continue our journey, Tish popped open a chilled bottle of champagne and everyone toasted this amazing event (even the kids). We dropped anchor that evening and we were all still celebrating the event throughout dinner. Click image to enlarge Humpback Whales of SE Alaska Video Click to enlarge to full screen All images are available for sale. For size and pricing information, visit my Store.
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AuthorDrew Collins professional underwater photographer and environmentalist living and diving primarily in the beautiful Emerald green waters of Puget Sound near Seattle, Washington. Categories |
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