Killer Whale Breach-North Pass, Juneau, AK – Image # 2887

A large 30-foot (9 meters) male killer whale, or orca, with a 6-foot dorsal fin jumps out of the water. Also referred to as breaching, many theories exist about what makes a whale breach and in reality no one really knows.  What I do know is that this breach happened right after this orca’s pod of transient whales killed a marine mammal. After the kill there were two quick breaches in a row.  While photographing whales, it is very hard to get an image of the first breach because it usually comes out of nowhere.  Quite often a first breach is followed by a second breach not long thereafter. My recommendation is to hold out for that second breach if you miss photographing the first. This photo illustrates the month of March in my 2015 Southeast Alaska Calendar.  ©Mark Kelley – Thank you for visiting www.markkelley.com – Camera: Nikon D800,  Lens: Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8, Digital Capture