A sequence from our encounter last week with the humpback that has been seen feeding around Bowen. As we drifted off Tunstall Bay, watching this Humpback from a great distance, she slowly made her way towards us and came over to surface for a breath next to our boat. A few moments later I noticed water ripples on the other side, I turned with my lens, and suddenly up she came for a HUGE mouthful of tasty whale treats! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Keep in mind this photo was taken with a telephoto lens and cropped, so while I personally think this was uncomfortably close for such a large and powerful beauty, she was still a good 20m away. It was her choice to come near us and we would have not started up the engine to move in fear of disturbing her. Please if you are on the water observe safe and respectful boating etiquette and “If you see a blow- go slow!”. Report any incidents concerning whales to DFO 1-800-465-4336 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The photos were submitted to the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS @mersociety) for their research. At first they believed the whale may be “Scoop” (BCX0870) but after more sightings several days later they began to suspect it was a much younger whale. Finally s/he was identified as 1-year-old ‘Halfpipe’ on May 23rd (see full story)… after photos surfaced of him/her tail-lobbing nearby. The combination of dorsal/flank photos and fluke photos finally made this ID possible! If you have sightings of this (or any other) whale in British Columbia please send them to MERS. And remember, “If you see a blow- go slow!”❤️????
-Di
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