Nature Photography, Whales
A Full Breach — Humpback Whale Sighting in Maui
While testing out my new Nikon Z9 with the NIKKOR Z 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 VR S lens to photograph Humpback Whales, we witnessed a full “breach”
To witness a 100-foot, 170-ton Humpback Whale leaping from the water into the brightness of a Maui morning and then splash, with all of its might, back into the water again is to witness one of the primal forces of nature.
The splash can be heard from miles away.
No one really knows exactly why these behemoths of the ocean decide to take to the air for a few moments, but the speculation is that sometimes they are trying to rid themselves of barnacles, sometimes they are communicating with the sound of the splash (sound travels 4.5 times faster in the water than it does in the air) or maybe they are just having fun!
It’s calving season in Maui right now (from December to April) and the whales are everywhere. After a long migration down from the arctic chill of Alaska, the moms bear the baby whales here, in the warmer waters. The babies don’t have much blubber at first, so they need to be in warmer climes for their first couple of months in order to thermoregulate.
I received my new (pre-ordered months and months ago) Nikon z9 right before we left for our trip to Maui last week. The online manual is over 900 pages long, and is going to take a while to fully digest, so I’ve been tinkering with the camera, and watching online videos to figure out the basics.
This whale-watching excursion was a bit of a “test” of the new camera’s ability. It is touted as being fantastic for photographing wildlife because of the new “animal” autofocus feature, which tracks its subject exceedingly well.
I was really excited to be able to photograph this “breach” because it all happened so fast. When I turned around and saw the whale leaving the water, I just starting taking photos on “continuous high” and hoped for the best. She was quite a ways out. And I was taking the pictures from a moving boat, so I really didn’t know how they would turn out.
I was quite happy with the results. It is quite amazing, to me, to be able to see the whole breach — from that first exit from the skin of the ocean, to being fully airborne, to crashing down in that tremendous crescendo of spray.
I hope that you enjoyed this glimpse into the world of Humpback Whales. Stay tuned for some photos of mom and baby whales.
Thank you to the Pacific Whale Foundation, a research and educational group based in Maui. PacWhale Eco-Adventures are based on nearly four decades of marine research and ecotourism experience. Every trip is led by certified Marine Naturalists who provide a truly unique, educational and fun adventure at sea.
Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).
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