Captured from aboard Red Ryder during a fishing trip out of Homer Alaska, client David Porter shared this great photo of orca whales. We see humpback whales everyday, but seen only once or twice each week, orcas are not as common.
This was an exceptional experience, because among this pod of males (bulls), cows (females) and calves (babies). Coming alongside our boat and surfacing numerous times, this cow appeared to be quite proud of her calf. While we are focused on fishing, we always stop for a good whale watching experience. During this stop, our clients made some great pictures, and we thank David for sharing his photo ...great job on making this shot and including the beautiful scenic background!
As a side-note, a friend of mine, who is a naturalist aboard a tour boat out of Homer, recently sent me a video of what I think was the same pod of orcas. The entire pod approached close the boat, and began to show-off. Most were slapping their tails on the water (lobtailing), but the show really began when a cow approached the boat with a yellow-colored calf carefully balancing on her back. She displayed it to all aboard for about 5-10 seconds, and once the calf jumped off, both slowly swam beneath the boat, giving all a good view through the crystal-clear water!