The Perfect Breach . . . in Reverse!
By Lloyd Edwards

1. News

Check out these 8 images in sequence of an adult humpback whale breaching in Algoa Bay near the new commercial port of Coega.

The action continues as the largest ever Humpback whale migration keeps coming past Algoa Bay. This was probably since modern day whaling commenced in 1908 at the Durban whaling station. According to scientists, by 2010, the population had recovered to pre exploitation levels. I wonder what they are saying now with all the new calves around?

The cow and calf pairs that we have been seeing in Algoa Bay seem to be hanging around and not moving in any particular direction. It is almost as if some unseen danger is keeping them all in the bay. It is not uncommon to see up to 40 cow calf pairs on a single cruise.

Given that the humpback whales have the largest communication network after the internet, there is no doubt that they are in contact with one another. My guess is that once they decide to move out, they will exodus in mass! To give you an idea of how far they can communicate with each other, listen to this analogy. If a humpback whale screams on Red Square in Moscow, another on Trafalgar Square in London will hear a whisper, pretty amazing hey?!

The humpback whale’s population around the planet is very dependant on sound. They have up to 30 different vocalisations they they use continuously. One can image how much large ships with their associated noise pollution effect their lives. That is not to mention the ship strikes and the pollution they give off. This sound decreases the sized of their habitat, which is akin to logging a piece of the Amazon . . . although people do not see it in this light. Stop buying imported goods!

This is the splash made by a 40 ton humpback whale on reentry. Taken with a Nikon D810 fullframe, ISO 360, 200mm zoom, f/8 and 1/1600th second. It should have been at f10 but was too excited at the time!

Just the massive pectoral fin protruding from the splash. This is the largest appendage of any animal. They come in handy when beating off a killer whale attack!

A fraction of a second before hitting the water. When shooting on a burst you can never predict this timing.

Note the rorqual pleats which extend from the chin all the way down the chest to just above the umbilical. These expand when engulfing prey and water. The water is then expelled through the baleen plates while the krill remains behind.

Note the knobs on the pectoral fin. While it would seem logical that a smooth edge would be more efficient, this is not the case. This design has evolved over millions of years and make their propulsion ability much more efficient.

The first photo in the sequence. It is extremely difficult to photograph the initial part of the breach as you never know where it will begin. From where the whale dives, it needs to get to a speed of 28km/h before it can breach.

The eye is just to the left of the pectoral fin and rather difficult to make out.