Humpback Dorsal Fin

July 27, 2026  •  Leave a Comment

Humpback Whales in AlaskaHumpback Whales in AlaskaWatching and trying to photograph humpback whales from a cruise ship in Alaska will go down as one of the most thrilling and challenging wildlife photography experiences I’ve ever had. First, it’s like watching for a needle in a haystack. It is daunting to look out at a vast ocean and watch for whale spouts, hoping to track them. Just because you spot a spray doesn’t mean that’s where they will stay. They can move slowly or speed up to 17 mph in the water. Then, out of nowhere, a whale may breach, and you just have to be ready to get the camera on it, focus, and capture some images.

I missed several breaching humpbacks with my camera, not only because I wasn’t able to get focus fast enough, but also because I was caught spectating in amazement at times. Second, the fog, rain, ocean spray and mist, and cold make the shooting conditions difficult. When the whales were most active, the conditions weren’t always suitable for shooting.

Lastly, the cruise ship is moving at 20+ mph, and the whales are sometimes moving in the opposite direction. Once you spot one, sometimes they are so far away that the images are too distant to capture. I feel lucky to have, firstly, seen such an amazing sight as a 40-ton animal thrust itself into the air and, secondly, been able to get some photos of it from the cruise ship.

 

I was reading that a humpback's dorsal fin is like a fingerprint. Each humpback has a unique dorsal fin. Researchers use this to help track their migrations. This particular whale greeted me early in our Alaskan cruise and seemed to wave its fins as if to say, "Welcome to Alaska!"

 

Keywords: 2026, alaska, canon eos r5 mark ii, cruise, dorsal, family, fin, humpback, july, nature, travel, vacation, whale, wildlife, www.troymarcyphotography.com

Comments

No comments posted.
Loading...
Subscribe
RSS
Recent Posts
Red-headed Woodpecker in Flight Sandhill Cranes in Indiana Dunes National Park Fawn at Dawson Lake Backyard Cooper's Hawk Raptor in McLean County Fall Day on Dawson Lake Cardinal and Blue Jay Cape May Warbler A Great Blue Heron in Autumn Deer at MVSP
Keywords
nature wildlife www.troymarcyphotography.com Canon illinois Canon 7D canon 400mm f/5.6l EOS bird r
Archive
2012
January February (2) March (1) April May June July (1) August September October November (8) December (7)
2013
January (26) February (26) March (25) April (16) May (10) June (18) July (7) August (14) September (3) October (9) November (3) December (4)
2014
January (53) February (43) March (24) April (29) May (14) June (28) July (17) August (7) September (1) October (4) November (11) December (14)
2015
January (44) February (23) March (5) April (13) May (6) June (2) July (8) August (16) September October (1) November (1) December (4)
2016
January (18) February (31) March (28) April (4) May June July August (1) September (5) October November (1) December
2017
January (13) February (1) March April May June (5) July (4) August (3) September October (4) November December (4)
2018
January (28) February (15) March April May June July (6) August September October November (6) December
2019
January February March (19) April (2) May June July August September October November (8) December (6)
2020
January (3) February (12) March (44) April (44) May (44) June (15) July (10) August (17) September (3) October (2) November December (3)
2021
January (27) February (24) March (10) April May (11) June (8) July (24) August (25) September (32) October (40) November (32) December (6)
2022
January February March (7) April (15) May (24) June (1) July August September October November December
2023
January February March April (3) May June (1) July August September October November December
2024
January February March April May (8) June (11) July (5) August September (1) October November (8) December
2025
January February March April May June July (13) August September October November (5) December
2026
January February March April (14) May (49) June (40) July (20) August (32) September (25) October (17) November December
© Troy Marcy Photography
User Agreement