A radiant October day on Vancouver Island, setting out from Port McNeill, a small port town at the northern tip of the peninsula.
Ideal conditions for a boat trip in search of humpback whales and orcas migrating through this region of outstanding natural beauty.
Whale safari on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
My guide, who specializes in the study of marine wildlife, runs boat trips to observe marine mammals.
Her engaging, nature-respectful approach makes it easier to understand this world of beauty, still so well preserved.
So off I go, skimming across the water at speed on a zodiac for several hours of observation, keen to capture a single, unique scene of pure nature.
Positioned at the bow of the boat, restless, I scan the horizon…
As if my impatience had been answered, I straighten up, startled. A magnificent humpback whale raises its tail in front of us before diving back into the depths of the ocean. Excited, I ask Angela to get closer.
But without hesitation, with a wave of her hand, she points my gaze in the opposite direction, toward a growing gathering of birds on the water’s surface, their numbers quickly climbing into the hundreds.
Puzzled, I don’t understand. It’s rare to spot an animal of that size, and yet this gathering of birds seems to matter more to her. Surprised, I decide to trust her.
We move closer. Silently.
Without a word, Angela steers the boat with skill and discretion.
In the midst of this multitude of birds, I start to understand as I spot, here and there, a number of small herring thrashing and twisting at the surface.
Angela’s explanation makes it clear: rhinoceros auklets and common murres are diving to encircle the school of fish, forming a kind of “net” and driving this “herring ball” up toward the surface, where other seabirds and gulls are waiting.
Suddenly, I spot an enormous dark shadow approaching.
Incredible, it’s her. With astonishing speed and agility, the whale we’d spotted earlier rises up and breaks the surface, mouth wide open.
In a single second, too short to adjust the camera settings properly, she swallows the school of herring, save for a lucky few that escape with a leap clear of the water.
The scene is extraordinary.
How did she know dinner was served, when she was still a few thousand meters away?
She actually has extremely keen hearing, which allowed her to pick up the murres’ calls.
After the birds had done the hard work of herding the fish, the whale arrived to feast.
As is so often the case in nature, it’s the law of the strongest!
This hunting scene confirmed, once again, just how surprising, astonishing and moving nature can be.
Left to my own instincts, I would have followed the whale, never knowing that a few hundred meters away, a gathering of birds was setting up an extraordinary spectacle!
Benoît Feron
You can follow Benoît Feron’s photographic work on Regards Passion.
Trip taken in September 2010, with Étendues Sauvages.
