We traveled through Fredrick Sound, a wide body of water that forms a portion of the inside passage of Southeast Alaska. This area is one of the best places in the world to see humpback whales. We would frequently hear “whale on port side” and see a whale breaching
or see a tail, indicating a dive.
We would Ooooh and Aaaaah, and those of us with cameras would click, click, click. I wonder if people ever get tired of seeing these 40 to 50 foot water beasts do what nature calls them to do.
Then the captain announced, whales sited ahead – everyone to the pointy end of the boat. We watched as he proceeded ahead, and saw some whales surfacing, saw some sprays in the distance.
And we saw them slapping the water with their large pectoral fins.
Then the captain idled the engines and they were all around us, feeding on schools of small fish. I would be watching and photographing in one direction and someone would call my attention to whales in another direction.
The naturalist told us about bubble net feeding, where a group of whales work together by forming a circle under water, and blowing air bubbles as they spiral to the surface. This drives large numbers of small fish toward the surface. The whales are gulpers so they take in a huge amount of water and fish as they lunge to the surface. Their mouths are lined with about 330 pairs of baleen plates that strain out the fish. We saw some bubble-net feeding but I wasn’t able to catch the action.
I am still in awe of what I saw and thrilled with the images I did capture.
I bet we tracked this pod for close to an hour – an hour of alternating adrenaline rush and a quiet intimacy with life itself.
A New Day: Living Life Almost Gracefully 
That’s terrific. Nature’s wonders are so good for the soul, and these are wonders that leave long ripples. 🙂
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So true – thanks for your visit and comment, David.
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AMAZING! I have always wanted to see this!
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We wanted to for a long time – but it never came together. This year it did.
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I am so happy for you both .
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Wow! That must have been a fantastic experience. Excellent captures 🙂
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Thanks, I get excited remembering it. It was really special.
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That must have been quite an experience!
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Oh, it was, RoSy. And having my photos brings back all the feelings.
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What a thrill for you. I still get excited when I see dolphin at the beach. There is something so wonderful about seeing these creatures
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Yes, I agree. I am always looking for dolphins at the Florida beach.
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Great capture, Pat! WoW!
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Thanks, Amy. It was so much fun but I couldn’t really tell what I was getting. The whales move fast – they didn’t pose for us – although it did feel like they were putting on a show just for us.
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I’m amazed by these captures!! 🙂
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What a wonderful experience…love the photographs.
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Thanks, Charles.
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A whale of a photo catch!
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Ho, ho. 😀
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Please help to keep our oceans clean
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Yes, so important.
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Fantastic!
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They are so breathtaking and they fill you with such a complete sense of admiration, and yes they really make you feel like a guest on this planet.
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Oh yes, Charlie. And I bet you have watched them migrating. I have seen migrating whales, but this was special watching them in their summer feeding grounds.
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What a fabulous experience!
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It was, Sherry. It is hard to describe what it is like to see these wonderful creatures in their own environment, where I am their guest.
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