Humpback Whale Tail, Alaska – Image 2514

In Alaska, after being underwater for awhile a humpback returns to thesurface to breath. When the whale decides to dive deep (what whaleresearchers call a terminal dive), it usually flicks its tail into the airand heads down. An average stay underwater before surfacing in Alaska isfive to eight minutes with 20 minutes being a really long dive. The longestrecorded sounding was 45 minutes in the tropical waters of Hawaii. This image illustrates page 68 in my new book on Alaska called Alaska: A Photographic Excursion. Camera: Nikon F/5, Lens: 80-400mm Nikkor , Film 35mm Velvia slide film-Mark Kelley