Breaching, Humpback Whale, Southeast Alaska – Image 2797

Most humpback whales in northern Southeast Alaska start migrating to Hawaii at the end of summer and through early winter. There are strong populations of humpback whales in Seymour Canal in November and December, but almost all of them eventually leave for southern climes. Whale breaches can be tough to photograph because the first breach usually comes out of nowhere and are totally unpredicted. What a photographer has to remember is that more likely than not, a whale that breaches once will often breach again in very short order or a companion whale will breach near by. I usually get my breaching shot on the second breach. This image illustrates the month of October in my Southeast Alaska 2013 Calendar. Enjoy the photo and thanks for visiting. Camera body: D700, Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 /digital capture/ISO 200/1.4 tele-extender © Mark Kelley