Waving Goodbye.
Humpbacks are amazing! I love them! This might not come as a big shock to most of you, especially, if you have read some of my previous posts about these magnificent underwater giants.
Animal Encounter #2 ~ Chin slapping Humpback July 22nd 2017 ~ https://steemit.com/nature/@thomasjmitchell/animal-encounter-2-chin-slapping-humpback-july-22nd-2017
Humpbacks at Neko harbour, Antarctica ~ https://steemit.com/animalphotography/@thomasjmitchell/humpbacks-at-neko-harbour-antarctica
Just to name a few...
Click Image to view in full size.
When Humpback whales surface they have a very distinct and predictable behaviour (IF they feel comfortable, which depends on vessels near them). This behaviour is as follows ~ they will surface, exhale and then inhale, descending to just under the surface of the water. They will repeat this behaviour numerous times with usually 10-30 seconds in between the breaths. On their last breathe they will inhale more forcefully then arch their backs, their large flukes (tails) will typically arise from the surface before they disappear for a longer and deeper dive, which can be anywhere from 3 minutes to 20 minutes. The good thing though is that after a few surfacings you have a really good idea of when they will arch and fluke, which helps when trying to get a picture similar to the one below.
"Waving Goodbye".
An important note is that in fact underneath that Fluke are various black and white colour alterations, different shapes, markings, etc. Underneath that fluke is how we are able to identify individual humpbacks ~ It is in fact their Fingerprint ~ no two whales will have the same markings, colours, shapes under their flukes.
Click on image for full size.
Thanks for reading and all the support, Steemit!!
All stories & photographs are of my own work unless noted under the picture in question.
For more stories and photos check out my Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/thomas_mitchell2912/
really nice
Wonderful! Really really Great!
Beautiful! What kind of camera do you have? These are my favorite types of of photos, wildlife, nature in action, landscape, beautiful sunsets and amazing colors! Keep it up!
Thanks! I shall do my best. Currently, I am using a Canon 7D BUT might be switching to a full frame censor ~ perhaps a Sony A7 ii... Still on the fence about it right now.
Nice! What don't you like about the one you have? Sorry I have to ask because I'm on the hunt to buy a camera and don't know much about cameras haha.
That's ok - I know a little bit and am always asking my photographer friends on their thoughts too. It is good to discuss such things, as it isn't a cheap investment. I do like the Canon 7D but it is a crop censor, which has its benefits BUT I used a friends full frame censor and I honestly preferred it.
Exactly haha. Not cheap at all. Thanks for your input towards my future investment though :D
Thanks for the article on the humpback. Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. I also just did a post on penguins go check it out. Thanks
Definitely the money shot, beautiful!
It's truly amazing that an animal could have this type of well-regulated, systemic kind of behaviour. Thanks @thomasjmitchell for sharing your thoughts.
amazing post my steem friend.
The whale does seem to wave you goodbye. So it's only appropriate to title the image that. The image is pretty remarkable. I could hear the sound the water would have made, when the whale went into the water. Marvelous capture. :)
muy buenas tus fotos mereces muchos likes.
A "Money Shot" indeed... It's such a blessing to be able to watch them up close... I'm in awe and amazement...
Since you may be getting another camera soon, will you consider taking videos at the same time? Put the videos on dtube... (Hint: a reason to upgrade your camera) :)
Wow.. The post is amazing