Humpback Whales - Michael S. Nolan Photography

Perhaps the most photogenic of all the great whales, Humpback Whales are a pure joy to film. To capture the power and grace of any whale in mid-air during the split seconds of a breach is one of the greatest challenges in marine photography. With its’ long pectoral fins and sleek body the Humpback Whale is, to me, the most spectacular of all the great whales. Bringing all the variables together that go into a spectacular breaching image is a matter of persistence, skill, and more than a little luck. The Humpback images you are viewing are the product of literally hundreds of hours in and on the water around Humpback Whales.

Male Humpback Whales compete with each other for the right to be the lead escort to receptive females. While the actual mating has yet to be caught on film, these competitive males make for great photo opportunities! There is usually a lot of posturing and bluffing along with some very violent head butting. The tubercles and splash guard on the top of the whale’s heads often become raw and bloody as the big males “lunge” at each other with inflated mouths.

Filming endangered species like Humpback Whales underwater takes a lot of luck and time on the water. In U.S. waters these animals are protected by both the endangered species and marine mammal protection acts. It is illegal to harass these animals in any way. The underwater images I have of Humpback Whales happened by shear luck. In each case the Whales approached my boat while I was either drifting in deep water or at anchor and snorkeling! In the case of the mother and calf images I was actually running a commercial charter in Hawaii when both the mother and calf circled us in 35 feet of water! For 45 minutes she stayed below our boat with her calf right by her side. Male Humpbacks were vying for position to escort her. At one point there were 5 adult males with the mother and calf, all in less than 40 feet of water! Certainly a day I will never forget!

During the summer months I find myself photographing Humpback Whales in their feeding grounds in Southeast Alaska. To watch these animals work a tide rip for capelin or to see them lunge headfirst out of the water with mouths fully open to engulf krill is just a heart-stopping event, simply amazing! While filming the action we are usually stopped with a hydraphone lowered into the water to hear the animals as they “trumpet” before lunging all together. Be prepared, you just never know where the group will surface!

To capture a Humpback Whales’ flukes as they are lifted out of the water is a special treat. I’m always looking for that water dripping off the flukes, that perfect negative space and of course the perfect light. The best images are usually very early in the morning or very late in the evening when the sun is low on the horizon. Sometimes Humpbacks will throw their flukes entirely out of the water in a series of displays called “tail-slapping”. There are many variations on this theme as the whale may lay on its’ back, side, or stomach while throwing its’ flukes. Some animals seem to try for height and other animals like to throw their entire bodies sideways out of the water. The water cascading off the body and the incredible splash the flukes make when they hit the water offer great photographic opportunities.

TIPS FOR HUMPBACK WHALE PHOTOS: Patience, patience, and more patience! Time on the water is essential for good Humpback images. When filming breaches, head-lunges, or tail-slaps you will need a very fast shutter speed (1/750th of a second or faster) to stop the motion of these giant animals. Long and fast lenses are the order of the day. I prefer both a 300mm f2.8 and a 70-200mm f2.8 with a 1.4 Tele extender. Because shutter speed is so crucial, I almost never use any type of filter that would cut the amount of light reaching the film (no polarizing filters). Because deck vibrations are transmitted to the camera I also rarely use a tripod or monopod when filming whales while underway. I prefer to handhold the camera and lens so I can react quickly to any fast breaking action. While filming in northern latitudes, be prepared for rain and moisture, protect your equipment appropriately. In sunny tropical waters I like to use Fuji Velvia ISO 50. There is usually plenty of reflected light in these waters so you can get away with the slower film. In Alaska and other high latitude feeding areas you will need a much faster film. Why? The water is dark, the backdrop is also usually much darker (often foggy, or with a light drizzle). I prefer to use Fuji Provia RDPIII ISO 100 in these situations. I often find that I need to push the film a full stop in order to get the shutter speeds I like.