Orca Lunge

Gallery: WildlifePosted November 28, 2015135 views6 comments

This is a female transient (mammal-feeding) orca lunging after a male Steller sea lion in Queen Charlotte Strait, B.C in 2010. There were seven whales total involved with this particular kill and the entire hunt lasted over an hour (those Stellers can be very fiesty). I have had the blessing of having countless encounters with transient orcas, but this still remains the most flamboyant I've ever witnessed. And one of the most beautiful. This encounter happened during a late October afternoon. The light had a pinkish hue to it, the water was glass, and there wasn't another soul on the water.
As far as processing, the image is cropped about 50%. I lightened the shadows and sharpened the water splash of the whale.
-Camera and Settings-
Body: Pentax K7
Lens: Pentax DA 55-300mm
190mm, ISO 400, f/9.0, 1/1250 sec.

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on November 29, 2015 at 1:53 AM

Great action n nice shades of blue here, love the splashing water.
You may go more pano, if you like, eliminating some of the sky.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on November 29, 2015 at 9:27 AM

Hey Katie,

Very nicely done - perfectly timed, great backdrop, and your tech choices worked out perfectly here (producing a great image). Probably not surprisingly I very much LIKE your crop choice here (and see no need to go "more pano" - sorry Jagdeep!). Super well done!

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Hisham Atallah on November 29, 2015 at 10:11 AM

Hi Katie,
Great moment captured. Love the splashing water and soft light. A very pleasing scene (even the orca looks like he's smiling!).

Cheers,

Hisham.

Registered on November 5, 2014, 121 Posts, 352 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Ramy on November 29, 2015 at 11:18 AM

Hey Katie,
Love the POV you managed,
just an all round excellent composition . . . laugh

Registered on June 16, 2012, 567 Posts, 2809 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on November 29, 2015 at 12:59 PM

Fantastic action here with the beautiful setting in the background. Can't ask for anything more on this shot

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Minish on November 29, 2015 at 9:26 PM

An impressive capture, Katie! I really like the composition with the landscape background. The only thing I'm wondering about is what appears to be a slight magenta color caste. It may just be a difference in the calibration of our monitors because I've seen it in other photos of yours too. Most other photos on the site seem right on my monitor so I'm not sure.

Registered on February 4, 2006, 625 Posts, 3583 Comments