These gracefully breaching female humpback whales appear to soar with the agility and elegance of a dolphin a small fraction of their own size. A 50-foot, 45-ton humpback can be seen in this photo completely breaching the water, with its nose rising 40 feet above the surface.
To get these incredible shots, wildlife photographer Jon Cornforth positioned himself only thirty feet away from the gentle giants. The stunning images were captured by Seattle resident Mr. Cornforth, 39, while on a trip to Frederick Sound, which is close to southeast Alaska. He remarked, “They really are fantastic creatures to get so close to.”
‘They are extremely curious creatures – they are interested in us just like we’re interested in them.
‘There was a moment when one actually came up underneath me and looked like it might try to swallow one of the the boats.
‘But luckily they’re far too clever to mistake a boat for their usual prey.’
The images also depict the feeding “bubble net” system of the marine animals. Together, the whales herd the fish and feast on the massive shoals of herring that spawn in the area.
A few dive as deep as 500 feet and release bubbles of air in a circular motion, trapping their prey so the other 11 members of the group can gather them up.
The entirely female group forms on the exact same spot each year, AND each creature performs exactly the same role in hunting each time.
‘It’s a mystery as to why females come together in this way,’ said Mr Cornforth. ‘They may have a matriarchal society like some groups of killer whales.
‘I’ve seen the same females perform the same job of diving down to create the bubble net time after time.
‘The bubble net is created far below the surface and can be as big as 75m in diameter – in order to catch the enormous herring swarms.
‘They are such powerful animals that they can do this every four to five minutes for as long as ten hours.’
To get these pictures, Mr. Cornforth spent more than 12 weeks observing the whales over a four-year period. He had to sail 120 miles on his most recent expedition and scour the seas nonstop for three days in order to locate his reward.
‘Humpback whales are incredible mammals,’ he said. ‘They rise above the water for only a second – and then they vanish into the waves once again.
‘It’s brief, but breathtaking – and worth all the effort. When people see these pictures I hope they get a sense of just how glorious it is to be in their presence.’
