Tough to be a Whale

[Baywing]

Just imagine what it would be like if every time you opened your mouth to eat you were buzzed by a hundred or so mosquitos or flies. I really felt for Fulcrum, every time she surfaced the gulls were all over her. I realize the gulls are only trying to eat, too, but this was getting absurd.....

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This gull is flirtin' with disaster

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Winged pests....

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[rrx3]

Crikey! Great shots - these would look good at Nat Geo

 

[OHcorgis]

I don't suppose Fulcrum would consider a Gull snack? It sure would be tempting to me!

The shots are beautiful.

 

[spalding12]

great shots
never seen anything like it

thanks for sharing

 

[cajun angel]

Totally incredible! I've never seen a whale let alone something like these! Awsome shooting for sure! Hope you have more?

 

[soxOZ]

Amazing shots, you were so lucky to be there to capture this....

 

[PAReams]

Great shots---my wife and I are hoping to go whale watching next season. Where'd you see this?

 

[Baywing]

Thanks everyone. They can't eat a gull as their throats are too small to swallow it. Earlier in the PM trip, I saw Fulcrum open her mouth wide open well after it closed. It was the only time I saw her do this, and it is not normal. I wasn't close enough to see for sure, but the best explaination for this is she closed down with a gull in there and was opening up to let it out. Not out of respect or anything but her own survival. The news for a gull trapped inside isn't usually good, they often break wings flailing around and the experience is usually fatal for the gull. Never stops them from trying, Darwinism at work.
These were taken in the Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Gloucester, MA. As for more, I hope to get out on a research boat this Thurs. If the seas and weather (and the whales!) co-operate, it will be 10 straight hours on the water, with at least 7 of it around humpbacks. I think I'm going to need more flash cards.......

 

[raian]

These are wonderful. What are the gulls trying to eat? Food out of the whales mouth?

 

[Baywing]

Thanks, the gulls are trying to eat the sandlance, same thing the humpbacks like. They will pluck them from anywhere they can, even reaching inside a whale's mouth. Those are the ones that Darwinism usually takes care of......

 

[shtarka1]

Awesome Series!

 

[Holmes]

Amazing captures! Really like numbers 1 and 3. Splendid pictures all.

 

[antsplan]

wonderful, just wonderful images

 

[Jim Strathearn]

Excellent series! BTW, if it were me, I'd chomp down on that gull...

 

[Sanford504]

Fantastic whale photos. Where were they taken?

 

[JohnnyGator]

Wow those are some incredible shots.