Humpback Whale Breach 100

A few months ago, I stopped posting images while traveling, because I didn’t like the results of my color processing on my 13″ MacBook Pro.  I thought that I would make an exception for one of my new humpback whale breaching images from my last week of cruising Southeast Alaska.

Last Sunday, I left Juneau and motored my 22′ C-Dory 90 miles south down Stephens Passage to Frederick Sound.  The weather forecast was typically miserable, however, I was elated to experience sunny skies for 3 days.  My previous attempts at photographing humpbacks breaching have not been very successful, so I assumed that my chance of capturing anything epic was miniscule.  The several hundred whales on Frederick Sound typically only come to the surface for 3-4 breaths before deep diving to feed for 20 minutes.  The most common photo is of their tails.  In order to photograph a breach, I have to locate a playful whale that is not several miles away, which is what I did with this youngster.  It repeatedly breached, slapped its pectoral fins, and tail lobbed near my small boat for over 2 hours.  Incredible!