In late October 1995, I was in my small research boat moving through southern Geographe Bay, Western Australia with a pod of 6 Humpback whales towards Cape Naturaliste. I got this shot of two Humpback Whales Breaching into a Sunset.
Humpback Whales Breaching Sunset
It was a wonderful couple of hours listening to their breathing and watching as they surfaced, then taking photographs of their left and right flanks and then the underside of their huge tails as their bodies arched up prior to them diving heading West towards the Cape. Back then it was film in my Canon camera, and the last one I had on my boat.
As colour of the sky began changing to hues of sunset orange, and the south-westerly wind picked up in strength on approach to the Cape, a few whales began breaching. I slowed the boat to reduce the bumpy ride, and began taking more pictures of the spectacular scene unfolding before me with one whale launching its 40 tonne body clean out of the water.
Only 1 frame left, the wind now too strong to continue, and the sun almost below the horizon. Just another couple of minutes, then I have to head back to Dunsborough Boat ramp. Just one more shot, please. Waiting. Have to go now. Just one more minute. Then, out of the water, in complete synchrony, two adults in front of me. My camera straight up and the button pressed. Good bye my friends and thanks once again for a memory to last forever.
