Pictures were taken during a National Geographic sponsored trip to Alaska on a small ship with only 60 passengers on board. The landscapes and wildlife were absolutely breath taking and incredible.
Overview
We heard the thunderous crack of calving glaciers. We sailed alongside pods of orca. We saw breaching humpbacks and seventeen humpbacks bubble net feeding all at once and over and over again. We kayaked up to a waterfall where salmon were jumping upstream and grizzlies were catching them as they jumped out of the water. We hiked verdant old-growth rain forests and kayak peaceful coastlines. This was an amazing exploration with such rich subject matter for photography.
Features
- Expeditions were timed for the best lighting conditions
- We boarded zodiaks which held only 8 people to get up close to the wildlife
- Hikes to beautiful landscapes and interesting flora and fauna
- We met and photographed native people from the small towns that we passed
What is bubble net feeding?
Bubble-net feeding is a unique and complex feeding behavior engaged in by Humpback whales. It is one of the few surface feeding behaviors that humpback whales are known to engage in. This type of feeding is often done in groups. The group size can range from a minimum of two or three whales participating and up to sixty at one time. The whales form a vertical tube of bubbles around a school of fish. Then after an audible signal of one whale, they all surface via the center of the tube with their mouths open.