Whale of a Tale
Bucket List - Photograph Humpback Whales
I don’t necessarily have a bucket list. So much of what would have been on it was the reward of moving to Estes Park and photographing the wildlife that surrounds us. Still, if I had a bucket list, photographing humpback whales would be on it.
Their smoothness flowing through the Pacific Ocean, the massive tale with water rolling off like the antlers of an impressive bull moose as it feeds in Sheep Lakes, and the 50 foot breach…I wanted to see that 40 ton monster rise up out of the blue ocean to splash down with a hurricane inspired surge.
When Carolyn and I sought a winter escape from the wind and cold, we chose Puerto Vallarta, MX because of the humpback whales. The whales winter in the Bay of Banderas to mate, give birth, and nurse their calves in warm, sheltered waters.
In researching the area, I ran across Tagalong Excursions (thewhalesofpuertovallarta.com). Not a tour, but photographers who let you ride along for a very reasonable fee, and photograph beside them. The owners, Larry and Krissy Bennett are originally from Grand Junction, CO, and Larry has been impressively photographing whales for twenty years.
Turns out, Larry was a great guy, and immediately we hit it off. Riding on a small boat out into the 150 feet deep waters of the bay, I told him my goal was to capture four photographs that people would “ohh” and “ahh” over. Larry just smiled.
Once out in the ocean, we soon spotted a cow and calf, the new born humpback weighing approximately one ton, twice the size of a full grown Colorado Shiras bull moose.
We watched as their blowholes shot water into the air. Larry educated me. Only males breach and sing. Females protect their babies, and usually have another female with them. The second female is ready to breed, so she attracts the male whale.
As if on cue, more whales appeared, and the action started. First one breached launching his body upward and out of the water. Then another, each landing with mighty splashes sending the boat into rollercoaster action. I quickly realized with their massive size, the whales rose slowly up in a way that allowed me to watch, spot, focus and shoot as they entertained us with their powerful jumps.
Excited that I was seeing the classic humpback whale actions of the Pacific Life Insurance commercial, I captured the flop, fins up, as it crashed onto its back. Then a bird flew by, and I tracked it in “servo mode.” As I did, a monster humpback jumped, rising up as if to snag the bird for dinner. The bird veered away, and the whale smashed back into the salty waters.
My wife, Carolyn, scouted from the bow of the boat like a mermaid adorning a pirate ship ready to yell, “There she blows.” Her hands high in the air loving life, the sun and blue sky brought brightness to her day. From behind, I watched her celebrating knowing that one year ago she had been bald, weakened by the intense wrath of weekly chemo treatments.
Then, seconds later right before us, a massive humpback burst upward. My camera was quick, and luckily the lens was set at 200 mm. Any bigger, and he would not have fit in the viewfinder. With my camera shooting twenty images a second, I focused and shot.
He was so big, like the Kahuna or Split 5 of the bay. Reaching high into the air, he arched his body to fall full force back into the salty waters of Banderas Bay.
Carolyn turned back to me. “Did you get that?” she called out. I glanced in the viewfinder. The shot was full frame and clear, focused perfectly. I gave her a whale sized grin and thumbs up. She clapped in excitement. I had the shot.
It was incredible, the photographs I captured tagging along with Larry and Krissy. I spent three mornings on the water with them, and the knowledge, photography opportunity, and friendship developed were all treasures.
The special images captured exceeded my goal of four, encouraging me to plan a future trip escaping the winter winds of Estes Park to the warm Pacific waters off Puerto Vallarta.
