Mountains of Whales
By Rebecca Drew
SPECTACULAR images of humpback whales appearing to resemble a mountain range as they bubble net feed have been captured.
The incredible series of pictures show how the thirty-tonne whales dive underwater to hunt their herring supper and then resurface to quickly gobble up their catch before the fish can make an escape. In another shot, a boat of fishermen watch the spectacle.
Another image shows a humpback’s spout disappear high into the clouds.
This amazing encounter was captured by American artist and photographer, Scott Methvin (58) in South East Alaska. Scott used a Nikon DSLR , a brand he has used for over forty years.
“I really love to see and hear the whales close up,” said Scott.
“When I took these photos, I had two whales swim right towards me and before they ducked under the boat, I was completely enveloped in double whale spray, it was really funny.
“I want people to see how amazing these gentle creatures really are.
“They are so smart and live to be very old.”
Bubble net feeding is a technique that humpback whales use to catch their prey.
The whales will swim in a circle that gets smaller around a school of fish whilst blowing bubbles. This method forces the fish towards the surface so the whales can swim upwards with their mouths open to catch lots of fish at once.
It is said that whales can easily eat a tonne of fish in one day by employing this technique.
“It is important not to disturb their natural behaviour in any way, too many whales have propeller scars on their back because a boat hit them,” added Scott.
“It’s like a safari in the ocean, hunting whales to shoot with your camera.
“The rewards are hopefully a great shot and experience and it’s always different every time I go out.”
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