Last weekend I saw the movie Blackfish and since then the entire film has been rattling around in my head. For people not familiar with Blackfish, it’s a documentary about killer whales in captivity and in particular it’s about Tilikum, a performing male killer whale that has killed several people, including SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau… [read more]
Have a whale of a Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there whether you are feathered, finned, furry or footed! Since this past week was full of fascinating whale news, it’s the perfect time to highlight the trials and tribulations facing some finned moms out there (it’s actually more accurate to say knuckled for gray whales since they… [read more]
More killer whale photos
Finally, here are the rest of my killer whale photos! One of the questions everyone asked me after the trip was: “How close did the killer whales get to the boat?” The photo on the left captured the answer: very close. When these two whales surfaced directly in front of the boat there was a… [read more]
Killer whale photos of mom with calf
I just wanted to share some of the killer whale photos I took last Thursday. This post features some mom and calf shots. The first one on the left is definitely the best one, it’s clearly a mom and calf. Unfortunately, my 300mm lens can only get so close, so the calf in the photo… [read more]
I saw killer whales for the first time!
I’m thrilled to say that I had the chance to see killer whales this past Thursday. This was a first for me, I’ve never seen killer whales in the wild before and the entire experience blew me away. Before launching into what happened, I should explain that I’ve never understood people’s fascination with killer whales.… [read more]
Gray whale watching bonanza
Gray whale watching started December 26th and it’s shaping up to be one of the best whale watching seasons ever! There has been a ton of press coverage, so this post is definitely on the late side. But it’s still worth mentioning in case anyone missed the news or needs a reminder. Volunteers for the… [read more]
Whale watching photos taken near Santa Barbara part 2
Part two (don’t worry there will only be three parts) of amazing whale sighting on the ACS Whale Watching trip features the humpback whales that gave us quite a show. This trip was the first time I’ve seen synchronized swimming or fluking. Four humpback whales swam very closely together, they took time hanging at the… [read more]
Wildlife photographer Michael Daniel Ho is back from Alaska
Michael Daniel Ho, wildlife photographer extraordinaire, is back from Alaska. In this post, he shares Alaska traveling tips, wildlife hotspots, weather advisories, and much more. Not to mention, four amazing photos from his trip featuring: a humpback whale breaching (photographed in Juneau), killer whales (photographed in Resurrection Bay), a grizzly bear cub (photographed in Haines),… [read more]
List of toothed whales (includes whales, dolphins and porpoises)
Since I recently posted a list of baleen whales, I decided it was time to post a list of toothed whales. Toothed whales make up the scientific suborder Ondontoceti, which includes an impressive list of species. Similar to the baleen whales, every list out there is slightly different. The list compiled below is based on… [read more]
4 main types of cetacean prey
1. The first types of prey that many cetaceans prefer are tiny critters that form large schools closer to the surface. This includes several types of crustaceans (krill) and small fish (sardines, anchovies). And ironically enough, the largest whales prefer this type of dinner and have a built-in filter system called baleen that allows them… [read more]