Nothing really tops a killer whale, orcinus orca, out in the ocean. They are the very top of the food chain. They are clever, pack animals, that can take down a massive great white shark with ease. It is always a pleasure to see them in the wild.
Did you know that we started calling them 'orca' when they started showing up in aquarium parks like Sea World? I guess the name 'killer whale' was not family friendly enough for the marketing folks at seaworld. So they went with the scientific name, which works, except 'orca' does mean 'devilfish' so I'm not sure that is much better.
Photographing killer whales can be an very difficult challenge. Like most whales, they only spend a tiny portion of their life at the surface. Sometimes you get lucky and they will be playfully leaping out of the water or slapping their tails. They are the biggest dolphin so they should be playful... it comes from being so smart.
Here are a few of my favorites.
Timing is critical for breaching shots. Orca move fast and you never know where they might jump out from next. I just had to put my time on the water in to get this shot.
Orcas form tight-knit family groups. Its always try to position myself so I can get multiple whales in the photo all in focus.
One of my favorite orca shots. This was the moment before this orca broke the surface of the water. It looks like the water is stretching over the orca almost impossibly without breaking.
You don't often see the tails of orca but when you do they are quite beautiful.
Orcas range from the Arctic to Antarctica and everywhere in between. This was up in Alaska, zoomed out to get a sense of place.
It can be a bit unnerving when a twenty foot orca is steaming right at your kayak. However it always helps me stay calm to think that an orca has never attacked a person in the wild...ever.
Next challenge, to photograph them underwater! I might have to go to Norway for that honor.
-Dai Mar