Whale – Roumazeilles.net

Orcas, videos I loved

Yves Roumazeilles — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 17:51:27 +0000

I know! This looks like advertisement for a certain diving company. But I don’t care, I don’t know them. And the videos are awesome.

Check the second video and observe the hunting technique. Look at how the orcas use their tail to stun fish (you should hear the noise of the tail hitting fish). I knew about it, but this is really easy to observe here.

Killer whale – Wrangel Island

Yves Roumazeilles — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 19:14:44 +0000

A beautiful killer whale spotted from the boat, while cruising far from the coast.

Orca, or killer whale (Orcinus orca), orque, ou épaulard.
Wrangel Island, Russia.
August 2018.

Breaching humpback whales – Wrangel Island

Yves Roumazeilles — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 19:10:29 +0000

The whale whose song is so elaborate, the humpback whale, is the easiest to observe in the cold waters of North-Eastern Russia (it lives in all oceans and seas of the world).

It is quite easy to approach humpbacks, which makes them a nice and easy subject for wildlife photography.

But we were very lucky to find a large group of those cetaceans relaxing in a fjord and slowly cruising around. The most pleasant (nad actually stunning) was to discover that one of them was a young guy willing to have a bit of fun jumping out (breaching) regularly (and quite often). This created a marvelous photo op, and an unforgettable moment, with plenty of splashes captured by the camera…

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), baleine à bosse.
Wrangel Island, Russia.
August 2018.

Gray whales – Wrangel Island

Yves Roumazeilles — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 18:22:03 +0000

Gray whales have been hunted to extermination in the Atlantic Ocean. But you can still find some in the Pacific Ocean (and the Behring Straits).

These very quiet monsters may even jump out of the water (Is it a game? Is it communication? Nobody really knows).

Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), Baleine grise.
Wrangel Island, Russia.
August 2018.

Wrangel Island – Beluga whales

Yves Roumazeilles — Wed, 29 May 2019 18:18:03 +0000

Belugas are not too difficult to find (much less than the elusive narwhal). But, like all whales, they are often hard to catch in action.

Here, a group of the white whales was hunting slamon. The grey one is just a young which did not yet grow its porcelain-colored skin.

Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), Béluga, ou baleine blanche.
Wrangel Island, Russia.
August 2018.

Next time I dive, I want to meet this shark

Yves Roumazeilles — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 11:19:31 +0000

Let’s admit that it won’t be easy to see such a whale shark baby playing (or discovering how to play) with the bubbles produced by scuba divers.

So cute a baby!

Source: Requin-Blanc.

Humpback whales in Tonga

Yves Roumazeilles — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 19:47:47 +0000

Two great videos. Quite different, but both amazing.

The first one is really about being there at the right time (and being cool enough to keep shooting the video the whole time):

The second is shot from a profesional drone and shows a very interesting behaviour (two males battling for the privilege of swimming around with a female and her newborn calf):

Whales family

Yves Roumazeilles — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 22:27:40 +0000

Finally, a nice picture of Mom and her little one, cruising together in calm waters:

Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus, Baleine pilote, Globicéphale).
Davis Strait, Nunavut, Canada
August 2016.

Whales on Davis Strait

Yves Roumazeilles — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 22:22:32 +0000

Sunset encounters: Beaked whales according to the specialists, pilot whales do not really fear even large ships. They travel in small groups which offer nice photo opportunities.

Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus, Baleine pilote, Globicéphale).
Davis Strait, Nunavut, Canada
August 2016.

Orcas family snapshots

Yves Roumazeilles — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 14:44:15 +0000

Orcas are marvellous mammals fro mthe sea that are usually only seen from the water surface: a fin, a rostrum jsut out of the water to catch a sea lion. Nothing more.

But the NOAA scientists tracked them with an aerial photo drone and brought back some astonishing photos from above.

Overhead image of the newest member of the Southern Resident killer whale population, L122, just days after being born to first-time mother L91. This image shows the small size of neonate calves and the close bond between mother and calf that will last a lifetime. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under NMFS research permit and FAA flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

New mother L91 eating a salmon as her newborn calf looks on. This fish was caught and given to her by other members of the family group, showing that relatives help her as she cares for her calf. Image to be used for health assessment. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under NMFS research permit and FAA flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

An adult female Southern Resident killer whale (L94) nursing her calf. Lactation is energetically costly for these whales, and future photogrammetry images of the calf’s growth and the mother’s condition will reveal if the mother is getting enough food to support both herself and the calf. Note the distinctive saddle patch on the mother. This allows scientists to recognize individual whales in photographs. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under NMFS research permit and FAA flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

A photogrammetry image of the entire I16 matriline of Northern Resident killer whales taken in 2014. This image shows the size of whales at different ages. Note the small, gray calf in the middle (I144), only a few months old, swimming to the right of its mother (I51). To the left of the mother is the calf’s older sibling (I129). Images to be used for health assessment. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under Fisheries and Oceans Canada research permit and Transport Canada flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

Another image of I51 and her two offspring, this one taken in 2015. Comparing this image to the one taken the year before, one can see that the youngest calf (I144) has lost its gray mottling and grown considerably. It is now almost half the length of its mother and approaching the length of its older sibling (I129). These images show how scientists can track the growth of individual whales across time to monitor their health and condition. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under Fisheries and Oceans Canada research permit and Transport Canada flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

Photogrammetry image of an adult female Southern Resident (J16) as she’s about to surface with her youngest calf, born earlier this year, alongside. Future photogrammetry will allow scientists to monitor the growth of the calf and condition of the mother to ensure they are getting an adequate food supply. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under NMFS research permit and FAA flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

Photogrammetry image the A42 family group of Northern residents. Killer whales travel in their matrilineal family group their entire lives. Here the matriarch A42 is in the middle with her newest calf beneath her. Note A42’s distinctive saddle patch. This allows scientists to recognize individual whales from the photographs and assess their health. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under Fisheries and Oceans Canada research permit and Transport Canada flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

Photogrammetry image of an adult female Southern Resident killer whale (J28) traveling with her juvenile offspring (J46). This image reveals the wide body profile of the mother, indicating that she is likely pregnant and due to have a second calf in the coming months. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under NMFS research permit and FAA flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

Photogrammetry image of an adult male Southern Resident killer whale (L41). This photo shows the tall dorsal fin, curved flukes, and large pectoral fins characteristic of adult males. Images to be used for health assessment. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under NMFS research permit and FAA flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

Photogrammetry image of an adult male Southern Resident killer whale (K21). These images are being used to measure growth and body condition of whales that can be individually recognized from the distinctive pigmentation of their gray saddle patches, which allows scientists to monitor their health. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Vancouver Aquarium. Taken by UAV from above 90 feet under NMFS research permit and FAA flight authorization. More information at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html

Southern Right Whales

Yves Roumazeilles — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 18:06:37 +0000

https://www.roumazeilles.net/news/en/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MVI_9017-4.mp4

As seen from the cliffs in Hermanus, South Africa.
August 2015.

Southern Right Whale breaching in front of Hermanus

Yves Roumazeilles — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 17:59:15 +0000

Hermanus, in South Africa, considers itself as the world capital of “whale watching from the coast”. Reading this on the Internet reeks of overblown marketing. You can easily imagine this applied to the back of a whale far on the horizon calling for the use of the biggest binoculars.

Nothing would be more wrong! You sometimes need a little patience but, between mid-July and the end of September, you can easily see whales playing in so little water that you’d believe they have been paid by the Mayor and its tourism committee.

Take two hours and stop when the weather is clear, use the public benches or the rocks at the top of the cliffs nearly in the center of the Hermanus town and wait… You’ll see a whale; With some luck you’ll see a mother and her calf (like the ones we saw, below) or a Southern Right Whale breaching waters once or twice in front of you. We stopped for a picnic. No need of a large tele-zoom or similar pro photo equipment!

If you are not happy enough, you can try a little harder and check for whale playing in the waves in front of the beaches, but it’s easier from the cliffs.

Whales in False Bay, seen from a boat

Yves Roumazeilles — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 13:08:19 +0000

While you may be lucky enough to see whales from the sky like we did in August 2015, thanks to African Wings in Hermanus, the most common way to approach these huge mammals is taking a boat tour in a location where they are seen quite usually. Since whales are relatively common during Summer near the Indian Ocean coast of South Africa, we decided to try our chance at that from Cape Town.

While touring the Internet to find the best tour provider, we quickly identified that they are plagued with a serious issue: Weather can be quite tough and leading to significant waves rolling toward Africa. Apparently, even the most seasonned seamen can find it disturbing on the relatively small boats used to run to the whales. In many cases, it appears that most of the passengers spend half of their touring time the eyes into the paper barf bag. Not a good way to see whales.

So, we chose to tour in the mot closed bay of the region: False Bay, nearly in front of Cape Town. Tours leave from Simon’s Town and we chose the smallest boat (to avoid behind packed on the 3rd row of spectators, which would make taking pictures a minor brawl). And, here we go with Simon’s Town Boat Company.

We first saw a humpback whale from a bit far (you may be happy to see one, but it’s only a fairly recognizable shape):

But there was a real school of southern right whales in the bay. They are easily recognizable from the white callosities on their forehead.

They are not easily frightened (if the boat goes real slow), even when they are playing together:

But one of the finest moments is when these huge cetaceans show their tail out of the water.

I have to admit that we were extremely lucky: Marvelous weather with strictly no wind. So, the tour was perfectly quiet, but we could not compare with other more usual situations. I would still recommand Simon’s Town Boat Company.

Whales in Hermanus, seen from above

Yves Roumazeilles — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 21:28:21 +0000

To start the publication of a series of photos shot in South Africa, here is gallery of some quite unusual pictures: Whales shot from a small plane (African Wings) in Hermanus, about one hour driving out of Cape Town.

We could see quite clearly a large number of whales like this Southern Right Whale paddling around:

Since this is the right season, there were some young calves too, like this one with its mother:

Two of the most happy whales demonstrated there aptitude to jump out of the water.

One finishing its somersaults with a ring of bubbles in which it softly stopped, as if it wanted to draw a picture for us:

While we were flying there, we also could find Great White Sharks near the surface of the Ocean (they are quite easy to spot around the boats who a re dropping fish and bloood to attract them to sell “cage diving” to tourists looking for strong (and rather artificial) sensations:

One last shot on the way back to the airstrip…

Many thanks to Evan and Dave. this has really been an incredible experience. Your willingness to help (including photographic recommendations, assistance before and during the flight) went beyond our expectations and those are photos I am really proud of.

Sudden drop of minke whale populations

Yves Roumazeilles — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:07:55 +0000

A scientific study coming from Iceland suggest that in the recent years the minke whale population suddenly dropped from 45000 in 2001 to less than 15000 last year. This is a enormous change that is not yet explained for a small whale that was more or less protected by its smaller size (big whales bring bigger profits).

Source: Science Blogs.

Near the end of whaling?

Yves Roumazeilles — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:57:37 +0000

This is the question or the hope that we can have after the opening of a legal investigation in Japan. A public prosecutor announced on last 19th of May that he decided to explore the observed operations of sale of whale meat to restaurants.

Greenpeace actively participates and there are many people hoping this to be the first step toward a true prohibition of Japanese whaling (even for “scientific” reasons).

Source: NewScientist.

Japan: Whaling for research purposes

Yves Roumazeilles — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:34:15 +0000

Nature best photographs of 2007

Yves Roumazeilles — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:07:54 +0000

See them all at http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/

Jürgen Freund
OCEANS
Dwarf Minke Whale
Ribbon Reefs, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Whales big mouth

Yves Roumazeilles — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:02:19 +0000

Up to recently, scientists did not really know how whales could eat the enormous amounts of krill they need to feed a record-sized body. It appears that this is now understood thanks to some serendipity.

Sources: The New York Times article and the original paper of Jeremy A. Goldbogen, Nicholas D. Pyenson & Robert E. Shadwick.

Whale ancestor found

Yves Roumazeilles — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:20:22 +0000

We all knew that the whale was actually a terrestrial mammal gone back to the sea a few million years ago (this is most visible in the presence of vestigial leg bones that are not associated to externally apparent legs or fins), but it was a bit difficult to say exactly what the ancestor looked like. It seems that this was more a kind of small deer than big dog (as previously thought). Now, we have the missing link:

Indohyus by Carl Buell

Sources:

Greg Laden’s blog: A Whale of a Missing Link : Indohyus
the loom: Whales: From So Humble A Beginning…
Futura-Science : Le premier ancêtre nageur des cétacés était-il un daim miniature ?