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Adele Prandini
Photographer
Pacifica, California
Flukes and Feathers
Seeing a whale leap from from water is like kissing the face of god
Humpback Tail
Whale tails are as individual as fingerprints and can be used to identify whales. Indivithrough the efforts of people who take photos of whale tails and then upload these to: www.happywhale.com
Just Out for a Swim
A Humpback whale swims at the surface just off shore near Esplanade Beach in Pacifica, CA. The Humpback lifespan is greater than fifty years. In the Baleen whales the females are slighty larger than the males. In the toothed whales it's the males who grow larger.
Built-in Strainer
A mouth full of Baleen plates enables a whale to fill it's mouth full of fish and krill and then strain the water out so it swallows just the food. Whales get their water needs met from the food they eat. A Humpback can eat up to approximately six thousand pounds of feed per day.
Just for Fun
Dolphins are great examples of animals who love to play. They do it alot. They play with eachother, they find things to play with like seaweed and they aren't they only ones.
Similiar but Different
Imagine the surprise of the people on the sailboat when this Humpback jumped up to say hello! Never do I envy folks in sailboats, although I must admit this day I did.
Blowholes Close Up
This Grey Whale provided an excellant view of it's blowhole, notice the two openings? Baleen whales have two and the toothed whales have only one. On a calm day you can identify the gray whale by it's heart-shaped spout.
Whale Pop Up
Whale giving a close up view of it's barnacles and scars where the barnacles use to be.
Whales At Sunset
During whale season it's possible to see whales from the shore at almost any time of day. Whale watching is a game of patience. These whales were hanging out at the surface just after sunset.
Foggywhale
While on a whale watching trip in Baja California, I was brushing my teeth when all of a sudden I heard a huge exhalation of breath! I looked up to see a mother and calf gliding by.
Baleen Whales
There are 14 different species of baleen whales. In my area we are able to see Humpbacks and Gray Whales and a few miles out to sea there are Blue and Sei whales. The other 76 species are the toothed whales, which includes everyone's favorite, the sperm whale.
Sub Adult
This young White Shark isn't looking for you. It's looking for fish, rays, and others sharks to consume.
Side by Side
Humpback whales in Monterery Bay. Humpbacks follow the food and take advantage of availiable food items such as anchovies and krill.
Always welcome
You never know what you will see during whale season. You might see one you might see ten but it's always worth the effort.
Family
The family that swims together...ah you know the rest.
Danger Afloat
Shipping lanes and whales don't mix. This photo was taken from shore so the ship is actually even larger than it appears in the photo. The numbers of endangered whales that are killed by ship strikes each year don't represent the actual number. It only represents the number of whales that are known to have been killed. For every whale death recorded add another ten or twenty unrecorded deaths. Once a whale is struck by a vessel it will sink to the bottom pretty quickly.
Speed reduction and altering the path of shipping lanes would help.
Trash is another threat. Plastic floating in the Oceans of the planet threatens not just whales but turtles, birds, fish and humans.
Speed reduction and altering the path of shipping lanes would help.
Trash is another threat. Plastic floating in the Oceans of the planet threatens not just whales but turtles, birds, fish and humans.
Humpback Flukes
Very distinctive white markings are used to identify different members of the pod.
Vertical Lift
Strength and power are needed to lift the flukes high above the water.
Tale of Details
This photo shows the very detailed outline of the flukes.
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