whale watching

I never claimed to be a wildlife photographer, but for my first official Humpback whale photo shoot, I'd say I did a respectable job. This wasn't your standard vessel fleet launching from the tourist ridden harbor docks. This wasn't a time slotted tour where advanced purchase of tickets were required. This was a Saturday morning adventure with friends seeking a glimpse of some of the oceans largest mammals. We set out from an eerily calm inlet off the backside of Nauset Beach. It was low tide but luckily not too low to venture through the sandbar ridden channel. The inlet which stretches between the towns of Orleans and Eastham leads out into none other than the vast Atlantic Ocean. Only - we didn't have to venture very far into its vastness to spot a pod of Humpback Whales (we estimated about 12 - 14 different individual whales) who were swimming just off shore.Seeing these mammals in person is completely breathtaking and truly exhilarating. One of those times where the camera (and all my cropping and zooming) can't even begin to do the experience justice. The whales came really close to the us. I'm talking within a few arms lengths / a tiny stones throw close. Did I mention we are on a 23 foot recreational motorboat? It's an adrenaline rush to say the least. You never know just where they are going to pop up next to you! These guys are the real deal, identified with names by the varying patterns and markings on their tale flukes and everything. I'll leave you with some scenery shots from the boat ride in and the views back on dry land. Not that I need an excuse, but simply because it's Cape Cod in the summertime and it's beautiful. And it's where I grew up. I'm much better at these still life scenery shots than I am at capturing those whales. I hope you enjoyed them all the same. Happy Thursday!