I have had more than my fair share of orca encounters over the years around the world. One thing I will say that I have learnt from these animals is that NO TWO animals are the same and NO TWO encounters will be the same either, which I believe is a testament to their unique individual personalities and constant ever changing emotional states. Make no mistake these animals are highly emotional, that is a fact ~ We can even go as far as to say they probably have the same range & in-depth of emotions that we are capable of. Some even believe that they are capable of emotional aspects to a level we still do not understand.
The other one important lesson I have taken away from my countless encounters is that you must have patience.
When you are attempting to take photographs of these animals you must be quick and have a good understanding of what behaviour they are demonstrating in order to place your vessel out of the way and somewhere close enough it makes them curious and want to interact with you. This is something you can never force BUT if you take care and are patient, 90% you do get an unforgettable encounter with the apex predator of the oceans.
Then some days this happens. You watch them from a distance, learning their behavioural pattern, keep out of their way but they have other ides and decide to swim closer to investigate you and your vessel. You just happen to have your camera out and pointing up and then that happens... Its over in mere seconds but a moment that lasts a lifetime.
Click image for full size.
Fast moving orca in bumpy conditions ~ https://steemit.com/photography/@thomasjmitchell/fast-moving-orca-in-bumpy-conditions
Animal Encounter #5 ~ Staring contest with an Orca ~ https://steemit.com/blog/@thomasjmitchell/animal-encounter-5-staring-contest-with-an-orca
Sunsets in the Juan De Fuca Strait with Killer Whales ~ https://steemit.com/goldenhourphotography/@thomasjmitchell/sunsets-in-the-juan-de-fuca-strait-with-killer-whales
My favourite whale ~ https://steemit.com/blog/@thomasjmitchell/my-favourite-whale
Animal Encounter #3 ~ A mother orca teaching her young to hunt Aug 18, 2016 ~ https://steemit.com/nature/@thomasjmitchell/animal-encounter-3-a-mother-orca-teaching-her-young-to-hunt-aug-18-2016
Thanks for reading and all the support, Steemit!!
All stories & photographs are of my own work unless noted under the picture in question.
For more stories and photos check out my Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/thomas_mitchell2912/
Great post ..
Great picture .. Good for you, who works deserves, no luck
Thanks for sharing your experience with us
There is nothing beautiful than nature
That’s amazing! How wonderful that you were able to snap a picture to record this!
Very true.
Photography is an art and you need patience for it
It is so tue. I think in some ways Art allows us to get realligned with the slower rythm of nature.
From what you say @thomasjmitchell it seems the recipe for capturing superb images like this is as follows;
To right time and place, add a dash of luck. Make sure your equipment camera gear is fully charged and functional at optimum. Research your chosen subject and add a large portion of oberservation of behvioural patterns...to these add a pinch of your own previously brewed intuition. Mix liberally with HUGE quantities of patience and voila! the perfect picture will rise like a majestic orca fresh from the ocean deeps! 😊🐳📷
Well done Thom!
Incredible and exciting meeting. Thanks for sharing it with us!
https://steemit.com/esteem/@rinaldioce/banana-inspiration-2fa04d311dbef
Boss vote yes.
A stunning picture! Yes, patience is necessary ... I support, of course!
From the title, I thought you were going to have an article about Steemit whales, and whether their votes were just luck, bahaha. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this post was indeed about real Orcas! An amazing shot!
Definitely nature is wise, very good takes; You can see the passion he has for this type of photography. luck is your searches in unforgettable moment.
Who was it that Said "patience is a virtue that if one doesn't have, one has got to adopt it"?
This is a great story and even a better picture :)
I can only imagine how happy were you taking this photo so you can cherish it forever because, it's special in so many ways.
It's amazing how they can sync that so perfectly that they both get out of the water at the same time
Patience... that's probably why I'm not a good animal photographer, I have absolutely no patience to see these amazing things...
Great image!
I've lived on the west coast for 20 years now, and other than a whale watching trip in 2002, I've never seen an Orca, not even in ferry crossings to and from Vancouver. =(
It's so sad that there are only 76 Southern Resident Orca's left in 2018. The species is in extreme peril. =(
Beautiful once in a lifetime photo! Great shot!
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Amazing work <3
Amazing animals! They look so inncocent in the photo while still being so dangerous predators. I'm trully impressed by your photos. excellent! :)
Well done, you captured nature at its finest. Easy to see the beauty and purity of these animals in this shot. Thanks for posting this. Looked at your other work and you really have a talent for this. Keep it up!