Orcas in the Mist

Just outside Nanaimo, BC, we ran upon several pods of Orca “Killer” Whales. One small pod of only a few individuals passed our boat very closely, giving us great photo opportunities to capture them as they traveled in the waters. Just as we began photographing them, several of the whales began “spouting” as they reached the surface while traveling:

Orca "Killer" Whale spouts

Orca "Killer" Whale pod, spouting

With some nice backlighting, the spouts really looked like they were swimming through a mist!

By the way, did you know that Orcas are not whales? They are actually toothed dolphins, but because of their size, they have been called whales for a long time.

Photographic Equipment Used:

  • Canon 1D Mark 3 body
  • Canon EF 100mm-400mm, f/4.5-f/5.6 IS lens, with Canon 1.4x TC, both shot at 460mm
  • Handheld, from a boat, with IS “On”
  • ISO 200
  • Aperture f/8
  • Shutter 1/100 sec. (top photo) and 1/640 sec. (bottom photo)

 

 

 

Posted in Mammals, Nature Photography, Travel Photography
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