“A very special guest graced the lineup at Black’s Beach in San Diego this past Saturday taking a break from its migration south to Mexico.” Gray Whales reach a length of 50 ft and weigh up to 36 tons, and live between 55 and 70 years.
Guess.What.Day.It.Is?
June 5, 2019 by 24 Comments
Notes:
- Humpback Whales on Hump Day (wrong). SFGate: “Baird’s beaked whales, more than two dozen of which were spotted off the coast of Monterey Bay on Wednesday. ‘This is the largest group of beaked whales I have seen over the last 30 years and I have only seen this species of whale about 10 times in my life,’ said Nancy Black, marine biologist with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The whales, also known as giant beaked whales, are named for their — you guessed it — giant beaks. They have bulbous heads and long beaks that make them look somewhat similar to a dolphin, except they can grow to 42 feet long as adults. Baird’s beaked whales are rarely seen on whale-watching ventures. They’re a deepwater species of whales that can hold their breath for long periods of time, lingering underwater for up to an hour as they feed on deep-sea fish and squid, explained Black. They’re usually found at depths of around 3,300 feet and rarely swim in shallow waters, according to the American Cetacean Society.” Don’t miss video here. (Thank you Christie!)
- Background on Caleb/Wednesday/Hump Day Posts and Geico’s original commercial: Let’s Hit it Again
Let’s just say…Wow. (28 sec)
November 8, 2018 by 21 Comments
Back story here: How Drones Are Helping Scientists Study and Protect Endangered Whales (Thank you Christie!)
SuperPod! (80 sec)
September 8, 2018 by 17 Comments
Patrick Webster, who has lived near Monterey Bay for 11 years, is no stranger to sea creatures. But this week was the first time he saw the ocean “come alive,” he said. About 1,000 dolphins were racing along the shore in a “superpod,” jumping in and out of the water while chasing baitfish. “It was one of the most amazing experiences to see the water be alive with squeaking and splashing dolphins,” Webster said. “They’ll hop up and take a look at you, and you can see they’re checking you out.” The dolphins led the boat to several whales that were lunge feeding and bubble netting, which occurs when whales blow bubbles around a school of fish to trap them. The dolphins swam in and out of the whales’ feeding area, picking up their leftovers, making for a spectacular show that Webster captured on video. “They were just going to town,” Webster said. “It’s a super big deal to see so much wildlife all in the same spot…. For the animals, it’s probably just a regular day.”
(Source: Hundreds of dolphins race along Monterey Bay in ‘superpod’, Los Angeles Times, September 7, 2018)
Sunday Morning
December 3, 2017 by 35 Comments
After a century, humpbacks migrate
again to Queens. They left
due to sewage and white froth
banking the shores from polychlorinated-
biphenyl-dumping into the Hudson
and winnowing menhaden schools.
But now grace, dark bodies of song
return. Go to the seaside—
Hold your breath. Submerge.
A black fluke silhouetted
against the Manhattan skyline …
Our songs will pierce the dark
fathoms. Behold the miracle:
what was once lost
now leaps before you.
~ Rajiv Mohabir, from “Why Whales Are Back in New York City”
Notes:
- Photo: Humpback Whale in New York Harbor: Day 3 by Bjoern Kils.
- Poem Source: 3quarksdaily
Monday Morning Wake-Up Call
July 17, 2017 by 23 Comments
Photographer Franco Banfi and a team of scuba divers were following a pod of sperm whales in Dominica Island when suddenly the large creatures became motionless and began to take a synchronized vertical rest. This strange sleeping position was first discovered only in 2008, when a team of biologists from the UK and Japan drifted into their own group of non-active sperm whales. After studying tagged whales the team learned this collective slumber occurs for approximately 7 percent of the animal’s life, in short increments of just 6-24 minutes.
You can see more of the Switzerland-based photographer’s underwater photography on his website and Instagram
Source: A Photographer Captures the Unusual Way Sperm Whales Sleep via thisiscollosal.com, July 4, 2017)
Thank you Eric.
Pause. For 145 sec. Be transported.
December 10, 2015 by 12 Comments
A bird’s eye view of 2,000 beluga whales in the Northwest passage.
Magic.
Go Big. Go Right. (Be Moved)
September 29, 2015 by 32 Comments
Southern right whales, which can measure about 55 feet and weigh up to 60 tons, were once hunted to the brink of extinction. The present population off Australia numbers about 2,500. The global population is about 12,000.
“Dave Price who was just making his way over to the whales on his stand-up board said they were really inquisitive and came over to meet him. There was one time when the whales lifted their heads up [and] looked up over Pricey’s board. They were so inquisitive and wanted to know what he was.”
Source: Grindtv.com
The Salt of the Earth
August 30, 2015 by 7 Comments
“I also befriended a whale. These are the whales in Argentina. An adult like this is 35 meters long, weighs about 40 tons. She came so close to the boat, I could touch her. And it was incredible. Such sensitive skin! As I was caressing her, I could see her tail, 35 meters away, trembling. Incredible sensitivity. We had a small boat, just 7 meters long. She knew she could have sunk us. But she never once hit the boat. Not once! As we left, she began slapping her tail.”
~ Sebastião Salgado, Genesis from The Salt of the Earth (01:33:26)
Whether you are a professional or hobby photographer, or don’t take pictures at all, this documentary on the life and work of Sebastião Salgado will leave its mark on you. Must see…here’s the trailer:
Notes:
- Find documentation on Amazon Instant Video: The Salt of the Earth
- Photo – HackelBury Fine Art
- See Related Posts: Sunday Morning: Sebastião Salgado and Perhaps From There We Could Grasp The Concept of Eternity
Hump Hump Hump Humpbacks!
July 8, 2015 by 14 Comments
Amateur photographer Katrina Begg took this incredible shot of two whales breaching in tandem off Flynns Beach, off the coast of Port Macquarie in Australia.
Read more here: Herald Sun (July 7, 2015)
Hump Day HumpBacks
January 28, 2015 by 30 Comments
Two Words: Goose Bumps
October 20, 2014 by 16 Comments
For the first time ever, researchers have used an unmanned hexacopter to monitor killer whales in the wild. In August 2014, Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, Vancouver Aquarium Senior Marine Mammal Scientist, collaborated with Dr. John Durban and Dr. Holly Fearnbach from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to use the hexacopter in the field.
Researchers will use the 30,000 photographs taken during 60 flights to assess northern resident killer whale health. From above, the scientists can assess their girth and determine whether the killer whales are sickly or pregnant. These photographs have already revealed several pregnancies, previously undetectable. This information will help guide management of the protected northern resident killer whale population, as well as the endangered southern resident population.The APH-22 marine hexacopter was built by custom aerial photography company Aerial Imaging Solutions and is owned by NOAA. Its use was authorized by a marine mammal research license issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a special flight certificate from Transport Canada, and animal care permits. The team of scientists also assessed the impact of the hexacopter itself on the animals, and they were able to determine that it went unnoticed by the whales.
Note: The noise in the video may sound loud, but these drones are actually very quiet. You would have to listen hard to hear the drone 10m above your head. The audio is recorded off a camera 30cm from the motors and attached to the frame. In the field the drone was high above the water and researchers noticed no reaction in the whales.
Thank you Rachel. Incredible.
Drones, Dolphins, Dana Point
June 15, 2014 by 17 Comments
“Captain Dave Anderson of Capt. Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Point, California recently filmed a 5-minute video that contains some of the most beautiful, jaw-dropping, footage ever taken with a drone from the air of a huge mega-pod of thousands of common dolphins stampeding off Dana Point, California, three gray whales migrating together down the coast off San Clemente, California, and heartwarming close-ups hovering over a newborn Humpback whale calf snuggling and playing with its mom as an escort whale stands guard nearby, filmed recently in Maui. Capt. Dave had to film this off a small inflatable boat, launching and catching the quadcopter drone by hand.”
Related Posts:
Sunday Morning: Soul Stirring
November 24, 2013 by 23 Comments
Don’t quit on this short film…
Darren Jew: “I’m fortunate enough to have spent the last 30 years of my life capturing and sharing the marine environments of the world. Of the things that I have photographed in my life, I enjoyed photographing the ocean the most. It’s my love. It’s my passion. The creatures within it. The way the light falls within the sea. To be able to capture that and show people what can be achieved with photography under the water is one of the things I love to do. I’ve been in the water with people that have seen whales for the first time, and their mask has been filling up with tears. It’s been that powerful of an experience. Every swim with a whale is different. I’m still in awe of their power and their grace and their acceptance of me when I’m in the water and what they offer up in terms of photographic opportunities. From a young age I’ve wanted to do exactly what I’m doing now. Every time I get in the water, I remember how lucky I am…I am trying to show images of the moments that are most important to me. The ones that have touched me. The ones that I feel are the most descriptive of the experience that I have when under the sea. Whether it’s 8 or 10 animals dancing in the beautiful sunrays. Or intimate moments with a calf interaction. Being able to share intimate moments with these animals is a real privilege…The thing about the Sea is that it is usually pretty silent. So, to have the sea full of whale song is like nothing else. There is no other experience that I could think of that is like it. It vibrates through your body. Literally, you can feel the sound. It is probably one of the most poignant experiences you can have in the ocean. The best encounters with whales are the ones where they are interested, curious about the swimmers in the water. And they’ll come up – look you in the eye. And that’s quite a profound moment. It’s like no other feeling that I’ve had before…Even after 30 years of seeing these amazing creatures in the ocean, sometimes I still have to remember to take pictures because I’m too busy of being in awe of what’s in front of me.”
Live & Learn 