In the silence of Sitka Bay, I waited.
“It’s going to come up on your right,” he said confidently. Certainly, I had seen whales before. O« of the coast of Southern California for one, and near the Bay of Fundy on the opposite coast, as well. Even on the way from Seward to Sitka, I saw two orcas swimming along our ship from my table at Sette Mari at La Veranda. Those sightings were thrilling, yet, they were made at quite the distance. Now, near Kruzof Island, I only had mere feet of icy water separating my smooth rubber boat from the grooves and pleats of these gentle giants – making it ever so important that they remain true to their alliterative nickname. UP CLOSE WITH HUMPBACKS Among the largest animals on the planet, humpback whales measure more than 50 feet long and weigh about 33 tons on average. The humps near the front of their dorsal fins, the distinctive bumpy protrusions on their heads, and their beautifully long pectoral fins give them their distinctive look. But it’s their tail that separates them individually. Like our fingerprints, humpback whales are identified by the underside and trailing edge of their tail flukes, as each one is uniquely di«erent. They are also a wonderful subject to photograph, as they are, out of all of the baleen whales, the most likely to breach and slap their tail flukes or pectoral fins. Certain species of whales — like the orca — live and hunt in the state’s bays and inlets and can be sighted year- round. But it’s the summer months, particularly starting in June, that the humpbacks arrive in Alaska with an insatiable appetite. Good thing these waters are rich in plankton and fish. Each humpback whale eats up to one- and-a-half tons of food per day, mainly consisting of krill and various small fish.
Straddling the seat in an inflatable
raft, my body gently rose and fell
with each tiny wave. My gloved
hands clumsily held my camera
and my heart pounded against
the layers under my exposure suit.
I squinted across the blue-gray
water in search of a sign. A few
seconds earlier the captain cut o«
the outboard motor of our Zodiac
in anticipation of the emergence
of a humpback whale.
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