Whale watching Bar Harbor, Main
Nov 28, 2014 10:16:30 #
connievloutely
Loc: Quaker State (PA)
I was thing of going to Maine to take photos of whales.
Looking for all the usual suggestions. Lens, locations, best times and any thing else of value.
Looking for all the usual suggestions. Lens, locations, best times and any thing else of value.
Nov 28, 2014 10:23:40 #
Nov 29, 2014 08:49:18 #
connievloutely wrote:
I was thing of going to Maine to take photos of whales.
Looking for all the usual suggestions. Lens, locations, best times and any thing else of value.
Looking for all the usual suggestions. Lens, locations, best times and any thing else of value.
Lens: Something you can hand hold and focus quickly. They don't hang around on the surface very long. Since you will be standing on a moving deck, I think anything longer than 300mm will be more problem than it's worth.
Shutter speed: Use a high shutter speed, 1/1000 as a minimum with shutter priority. If it is a decent day there should be plenty of light, so you shouldn't need a very high ISO. When I'm on our boat I set the ISO to Auto and limit it to 400.
Time of year: Most of the whales "go south" for the winter, and their return is somewhat a function of water temperature. The Maine and Bar Harbor tourist websites will give you the best times of the year, but don't go too early in the season; compared to what you are used to, it's still chilly up there in May. Private boats don't even think of launching until early June.
Have a good trip; coastal New England offer more photo opportunities per mile than any place I've ever been.
Nov 29, 2014 12:41:50 #
I have gone out whale watching many times and have some good pictures of Humpbacks and Blue Whales and even a Fin Whale to show for it. My experience suggests that you see more of the whale on calm days and when the waves are larger, you don't get the good shots. Also, there is a big difference in results when it is a sunny day vs a cloudy day. The cloudy day shots have less contrast and need more post processing.
Now for the camera. It needs to fire a shot or sequence of shots the instant you hit the shutter. I usually fire a sequence of shots as I see the flukes start to go up. I use a 18-250mm zoom on my crop sensor camera or a 70-300mm on my full frame. And I use spot focus since the choppy waves can give the camera so many false things to focus on. The whales may be far away and you can get nice shots of them spouting. Or groups of several together. Or up close. I have had them surface right beside the boat perhaps 15 feet away. Close enough to smell their whale breath. And if you are lucky enough, you can even catch them performing a breach which I have seen multiple times. Or on another occasion, smacking the water many times with the tail flukes sending up big splashes to photograph.
Thus it really ought to be a zoom, and it should focus fast and the camera should not have any lag when you hit the shutter.
And prepare to get wet and cold. Protect the camera from the spray when the boat is moving fast for instance have a plastic bag to insert it into. The boat will stop when whales are present. Some whales hardly show themselves and only give you a tiny glimpse. And others put on a show. Hopefully you get the show.
I live on the west coast and have an easy drive to Monterey Bay for the sights that can be seen there. And I have been in Hawaii to see the Humpbacks put on their shows. And at times, there are so many whales in so many directions that it is hard to decide which ones to concentrate on. They often are in small groups with a mother and calf and perhaps a male escort that travels with them. And this male will not tolerate other males approaching. And things can get ugly real fast. (Humpback behavior).
Have fun. And check the web site for the whale watching boat before you go. They will often post sightings for previous days so you can judge what is being seen. The types of whales can vary based upon the season.
And one other place I have done whale watching is the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara. It is here in late summer that the Blue Whales arrive and the weather in late summer is generally good, and some fantastic sights. I've seen Blue Whales in Monterey, but they don't go there in the same numbers.
Now for the camera. It needs to fire a shot or sequence of shots the instant you hit the shutter. I usually fire a sequence of shots as I see the flukes start to go up. I use a 18-250mm zoom on my crop sensor camera or a 70-300mm on my full frame. And I use spot focus since the choppy waves can give the camera so many false things to focus on. The whales may be far away and you can get nice shots of them spouting. Or groups of several together. Or up close. I have had them surface right beside the boat perhaps 15 feet away. Close enough to smell their whale breath. And if you are lucky enough, you can even catch them performing a breach which I have seen multiple times. Or on another occasion, smacking the water many times with the tail flukes sending up big splashes to photograph.
Thus it really ought to be a zoom, and it should focus fast and the camera should not have any lag when you hit the shutter.
And prepare to get wet and cold. Protect the camera from the spray when the boat is moving fast for instance have a plastic bag to insert it into. The boat will stop when whales are present. Some whales hardly show themselves and only give you a tiny glimpse. And others put on a show. Hopefully you get the show.
I live on the west coast and have an easy drive to Monterey Bay for the sights that can be seen there. And I have been in Hawaii to see the Humpbacks put on their shows. And at times, there are so many whales in so many directions that it is hard to decide which ones to concentrate on. They often are in small groups with a mother and calf and perhaps a male escort that travels with them. And this male will not tolerate other males approaching. And things can get ugly real fast. (Humpback behavior).
Have fun. And check the web site for the whale watching boat before you go. They will often post sightings for previous days so you can judge what is being seen. The types of whales can vary based upon the season.
And one other place I have done whale watching is the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara. It is here in late summer that the Blue Whales arrive and the weather in late summer is generally good, and some fantastic sights. I've seen Blue Whales in Monterey, but they don't go there in the same numbers.
Nov 29, 2014 14:07:30 #
Unless you have something else in mind in Maine, you might also consider Provincetown on Cape Cod. Stellwagen Bank is a National Marine preserve between Cape Cod & Boston. The ridge causes an upwelling and results in lots of food for the whales. The Dolphin Fleet is connected to a research/rescue group on the Cape. End of April, early May is when the whales return. If you are early enough in the spring, the crowds are missing, and the B&B prices are still out-of-season rates. Ask about discounts, like AAA.
I have had whales come right up to the boat to look us over. Very weird wondering who is really in the zoo. They are free to leave,and we are behind the bars on the ship.
I have had whales come right up to the boat to look us over. Very weird wondering who is really in the zoo. They are free to leave,and we are behind the bars on the ship.
Nov 29, 2014 14:32:54 #
DrPhrogg wrote:
Unless you have something else in mind in Maine, y... (show quote)
:thumbup: :thumbup: Agree
We took the boat out of Provincetown in early June a few years ago. The naturalist on board was connected with a rescue group and she was fantastic. We saw lots of whales very close up plus got a great history lesson on the town of Provincetown.
Nov 29, 2014 15:58:43 #
If you decide to leave from Bar Harbor and on that day the wind is up--book a Catamaran, they can go faster and much smoother. We saw how bad the north Atlantic can get. As recomended before, pick a quite day, you will see more.
Nov 29, 2014 20:54:05 #
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