Whale watching

A humpback whale swimming on its back

What a day at sea!

Yesterday afternoon I joined a whale watching tour that took us ten miles off the shore of Cape Cod.  During our four-hour tour we spotted 15 humpback and 18 minke whales feasting on an abundance of aquatic invertebrates, fish and plants.  The highlight of the afternoon was spotting a mother humpback with her six-month old calf in tow.  We were also treated to some fin slapping and breaching (unfortunately I was too slow to capture the breach on film - only managed a shot or two of the enormous splash).  According to the biologist onboard fin slapping on the water is a form of communication between whales.  Toward the end of the tour I managed to photograph a humpback swimming on its back.  Incredible creatures!

Our marine biologist was able to recognize most individuals that we spotted thanks to the unique colour patterns and markings on the the backs, tails and fins of each whale.  He was extremely excited to have observed that the mother humpback and her calf were new to the area (and as of yet un-named).

Photographing these marine mammals was relatively straightforward.  Throughout the photo shoot it was important to keep in mind that a whale may breach or slap its tail very close to the boat and the resulting splash may very well drench the camera gear (salt water is unforgiving to electronics).  I always carry a plastic bag large enough to cover the camera and lens just incase.    For my images (available on my website) I used a Nikon D700 with a 300mm f/2.8 lens attached.  The vibration reduction mode was switched to 'on' to compensate for the rocking motion of the boat.  I also decided to use Aperture Priority mode as this took care of the ever changing light conditions which allowed me to concentrate on the composition of my images.  You will also need to figure out an ISO that is high enough for fast shutter speeds which makes for crisper images since both the boat and whales are constantly moving.  Using the Continuous High Shutter Speed mode allows you to shoot numerous frames per second.  Depending on light conditions you may wish to underexpose your images by as much as 1-full stop (this ensures the white colour markings on the whales are not blown out). 

Here's another useful tip - the straps on the camera and lens are there for a reason - USE THEM!!  Also, try not to hit the heads of excited kids with your lens.

More images from yesterday's photo shoot are available on my website.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Cheers,

Claus