A breaching Whale
I saw & felt this male Humpback Whale jumping out of the water from our very small fishing boat. It was a spectacular exp for me… Something I will never forget.
Humpbacks are known as the acrobats of the ocean, often seen breaching (jumping out of the water), and flipper and tail slapping.
For what purpose are these actions?
These activities performed by surface active groups are usually involved in breeding behaviors. Researchers think the males are competing for the chance to mate with available females. Some of the behaviors shown were breaching, flipper/pec (pectoral fin) slapping and tail slapping. Breaches and slaps, in addition to being aggressive displays during courtship, may also be a play behavior in juvenile and adult whales Breaches and slaps may also be used to remove pesky barnacles or old skin (a form of grooming).
The average length of a humpback whale?
Calves can be about 15 feet in length. Adults are about 45-50 feet.~

Nikon D60/55-200
N.W. Mexico
Jan-2009
1802 views
11-09
A breaching Whale belongs to the following groups:
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David Murphy
Great catch!!
........and a similar write-up!!
Well done!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks very much much David.. So pleased you commented~ :)
mrscarlotta
Neato, I would have shit myself xxxxxxxxx
LjMaxx replied
Hahahahaah.. I would have thought I would oftoo.. but..it was so exciting to see and I embraced every second of it.. Thanks Carlotta.. ox
mrscarlotta
LMAO, WOULD STILL HAVE SHIT MYSELF XXXXXXXXX
LjMaxx
Thanks so much for taking a look here. I have a small series or 6 images of this same Whale~ These shown here are 3 of the 6.
Marvin Collins
Awesome capture, I love this!!
LjMaxx replied
Hi Marvin.. What a day it was for me. T.Y.~
Al Bourassa
You are so lucky to have taken these awesome shots! Great job LJ!
LjMaxx replied
Yes.. I feel I was too Al. Not a common sight for me.. Thanks so much here too~ :)
Edith Farrell
Wonderful job my friend and sounds like it was so exciting. You should post it on Day Hikes!
LjMaxx replied
Good morning Edith…. Not sure what day hikes is.. ? Thanks so much for commenting here too..:)
bill oneil
Wonderful photography of a magnificent creature…well done Lj.
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Bill.. Thrilled to have been there to see all this.. :)
Carol Lewsley
Lj i must admit i’m sooo jealous of you being so close to take this lovely photo something that i always want todo thankyou for sharing this photo instant fave. cheers carol
LjMaxx replied
I sure hope you get to do this too one day Cazz.. Whata great exp it is.. So mighty and powerful.. A beauty to see in person. Thanks so much for ths comment~
Kasey Cline
WOW Too cool Lj…Just amazing to me!!! An incredible shot my friend!!! I can’t even imagine how that must have felt!!! WOW!
LjMaxx replied
Hey Kasey.. Next year… You , me & all the other girls.. Cool,. Its gonna be great~ Thanks for this wonderful comment too!
AndyGii
Very nice shot Lj. You just gotta love these creatures
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Andy.. Yes.. I do love these creatures.. in my camera. hahaha. Later~
chazz
Great Shot!!!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Chazz… Appreciate it~ :)
Mike Davitt
Wow, amazing stuff. Thats exactly the kind off thing to take photos of;
Brilliant shot.
LjMaxx replied
Hi Mike.. Almost fell off the little boat trying to get these shots.. hahahaha.. Fun day.. Thanks~
Marion Cullen
What a fabulous opportunity and you certainly made the most of it. Brilliant photography!
LjMaxx replied
So pleased you liked this Lumineux. Thanks so much for cking it out~
cherylc1
WOW!!!!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Cheryl.. It was a WoW for me indeed~
CanDuCreations
Awesome work
LjMaxx replied
Good morning Thea.. Many Thanks to you here~ :)
Meike
WOW What a catch! ;))
LjMaxx replied
Hello.. Thanks so much for this comment here.. I apprecite it very much~
Luca Renoldi
Awesome shot. Thanks for upload it on RB
LjMaxx replied
Good morning Luca.. Thank you so much for cking it out.. I appreciate it greatly~
Honor Kyne
Great shot….wonderful :))
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Honor.. Really appreciate your cking him out here~
Jeffrey Palm
What an awesome capture!!!!!!!!!!!! great work!!!! I certainly hope it gets to my group!!!!!!!!! :)
LjMaxx replied
Yes.. I didnt know if it had enough water motion to enter it. But i just did. Thanks for the reminder and encouraggement to do do Jeff.. Really appreciate your comment here. T.Y..~
Dave & Trena P...
great shot and amazing timing. very nice photo, and very informational write up think you..
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much here Davtren.. Pleased you took a look & commented.. :)
EnlightenedOne
The only one luckier than you getting to see this whale is the whale getting to see you.
LjMaxx replied
Now this is just the sweetest comment I could have hoped for.. Thanks E.O. What a grand day it was for me.. My pic your words? colab??? Mabie.. sounds good to me.. :)
EnlightenedOne
How about this. This summer when you and I are taking photos up the coast into Rye beach we can do some collaboration. That way we’ll both know the other isn’t just talking in order to hear themselves speak. lol
Hell, I’d write write a complete series of encyclopedias for the likes of you! LOLLLL
LjMaxx replied
Sounds like a fine plan.. Looking foward to it too .. :)
NatureRules
Exceptional capture my good friend. Wish I was there this time. Mabie on the next round.
LjMaxx replied
Hi there. So pleased to see you here again. T.Y. so much too. Hope you can make it again.. That would be a blast for me.. Miss ya..:)
Joseph Rieg
simple…..WOW!!!!!!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Joseph.. Simply grateful here too~
Shoaib .
perfect timing !!!!
LjMaxx replied
Hey Shoaib.. Thanks for cking him out here. He was a fabulous preformer~ :)
Kate Adams
Stunning capture Lj!!! just one of once in a lifetime shots..very beautiful!!!!
LjMaxx replied
Yes it was too Kate.. Just got featured in the “That one great shot” group..lol. Thanks so much for bringing me luck here~
Susan Bergstrom
A FAV!!!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Susan~ :)
CarolM
Excellent!! Congrats on your wonderful feature.
LjMaxx replied
Hi Carol.. Many Thanks to you here~ :)
BigD
Congratulations you have been featured in All Water in Motion group. BigD and Jeff.
LjMaxx replied
Thank yo BigD. Really appreciate it too.. Pleased indeed~ :)
Paul Woloschuk
A beautiful shot.
I was lucky to enjoy a sight similar to this whilst on a Whale-watch trip several years ago. It created a feeling and emotion in me that I shall never forget.
LjMaxx replied
Hi Paul.. I know exactly what you mean. Same thing here. Thanks so much for cking mine out too~ :)
Jonice
You sure captured him at the right moment Lj. What a awesome shot! Jonice
LjMaxx replied
Thaks Jonice.. My lucky day indeed~ :)
P3T3
What a great experience and fantastic photo.
LjMaxx replied
Hi Pete.. Yes it was a great exp for me..Cant wait to do it again too.. Thanks so much here~ :)
Sharon Mau
It is fabulous!! How marvelous it is that you saw this magnificent creature so closely and took such a spectacular shot!!
LjMaxx replied
Thak you Sharon.. Really appreciate this comment~ :)
Michael Rucci
outstanding . worthy of a national geographic cover shot
mike
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Michael.. Your my new best friend now too. Hahaha.. Happy V-Day to you also~ :)
sss526
What can I say… You know how to shoot a great shot :)
LjMaxx replied
Thanks BGF~ :) Later!
Scott Bricker
great pic, what an amazing experience that must have been…
pro work, LJ, as always…
LjMaxx replied
Yes.. it was a great exp for me.. Thanks so much for this comment Scott~
Suzanne Storm
Fabulous work, lucky you to see the whale, how lovely, it’s just great
LjMaxx replied
Good morning Suzanne… Thanks so much for this comment… I was lucky indeed~
Jerry & Brenda...
Execellant capture great timing.
LjMaxx replied
Hi J & B. Many Thanks to you here~ :)
Helene Kippert
Fantastic shot!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Helene.. :)
kreesor
Outstanding capture Lj!! :)
LjMaxx replied
Good morning Keith.. Thank you~ I am ready to go back for a re-shoot.. lol.. Have a terrific weekend~ :)
jinney
WOWE!
Hes a biggy!
How beautiful to see this!
AWESOME CAPTURE!
-jinney
LjMaxx replied
Hi Jinney… Many Thanks to you for commenting here. I really appreciate it!
Gethin
incredible… nature at its finest.. well done!
LjMaxx replied
It was a blast for me to see this… So appreciate your commenting~
brigusser
Wow…..Absolutely fantastic capture, it’s what we all aspire to!
LjMaxx replied
Hi B.. Many Thanks to you for cking him out~ :)
SueAnne
This is such an incredable image and a very hard shot to get with such great action and stay in focus.
LjMaxx replied
and not fall off the tiny boat.. hahaaha.. Thanks dear girl~ :)
melant1017
Yes LJ, I know of this practice. I have used it myself many times to get females, but for some reason they run away, LOL :) Great capture my friend, what a moment that must have been :)
~A
LjMaxx replied
ahahahha… You need NO HELP my dear Antonio~ It was awesome to see this indeed~ :)
oddoutlet
wowee- only a few people get to see this up close I reckon- your so lucky as you probably already know : ) Good timing and great capture!
LjMaxx replied
I was pretty lucky indeed… I do appreciate your cking this out too~ :)
Philip Johnson
congrats on the feature in the Nikon DSLR User Group
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much here Philip… My 1st in 1 year for this group.. Felt great~ :)
kimie
Wow, what a great capture, fantastic x
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Kimie.. :)
Louise Robinson
Absolutely wonderful! Great shot!
LjMaxx replied
Good morning Louise.. Really appreciate your commenting here~ :)
Carol Barona
Beautiful! How amazing to see this! Great capture Lj!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Carol~ :)
Rob Parsons
Amazing shot – love to see one, some day.
LjMaxx replied
I hope you do Rob. It was magnificent for me this day~ Thank you.. :)
Ginny York
In a small boat LJ??? Holy I don’t know what! Really this is an amazing catch and the stop in action of the whale and all the splashing in the water is just excellent. Way to go girl. I would be afraid i would have been knocked out of the boat! lol Ginny
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Ginny.. Nope.. Not nervous at all.. I was so excited and pleased to have been this close and witness this & the water temps were good so.. Hahhhah.. Later!..
NATURELENS
SUPERB TIMING, exceptional image
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much for commenting here Naturelens.. Appreciate it~
David G. Fredr...
As you know, this is amazing as recognized by many others. Superb image Lj, Dave
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Dave.. I had a great time this day.. :)
genaro1
excellent!
LjMaxx replied
Good morning & Thank you!
~ Ademac
Superb capture…..................what an amazing creature.
LjMaxx replied
Thank you so much for commenting here Barssel.. Really appreciate it!
artisandelimage
excellent capture, what a beautiful sight !!!
I just hope to witness this “au naturel”...
my best, francis.
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much here Francis~ What a good time it was too.. A highlight for me.. I hope you too see this.. and soon! :)
Paul Scarsella
amazing – must have been awesome to actually experience!!!
LjMaxx replied
It was awesome for me.. So close & he just jumped so much all around our little boat.. I had an absolute blast.. T.Y.. very much!
Michael Beers
You are so lucky to have been able to take these close shots.
This is fantastic !!!!!
LjMaxx replied
I was lucky I think yes.. Thanks so much for cking this out Michael.. :)
Michelle Barlo...
BRAVO
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Michelle. Glad you ck’d this out~ :)
Wilparina
Another great shot. They drag an amazing amount of water up with them during these acrobatics.
Well done.
LjMaxx replied
Yes.. they do. I will stop over your way soon to see all of yours. What a blast huh.. Thanks W~ :)
Shaina Lunde
WoW! What an amazing shot!!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much for cking this out Shaina.. :)
MattTworkowski
LjMaxx replied
Thats terrific news Matt. Love your groups announcement banner too. I am quite pleased by this feature~ :)
Rachael Clancy
What fantastic timing,They are such majestic creatures..
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Rachael. I agree. This was a fantastic exp for me to see.. :)
Colleen Battis...
wow, lucky you :)
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Colleen..
whalegeek
Congratulations on capturing this magnificent humpback breach so very well. Your informative commentary about humpies is also appreciated. Kudos from Whalegeek!
LjMaxx replied
Thaks so much for cking this out.. Pleased you liked it.. Thank you!
chijude
Wow …. wonderful capture. I wanted to see the version that was not in Andygii’s pool under the tender care of Miss you know who.
LjMaxx replied
Hahahaha.. This is when I was doing the whale watching then Andy & Fluffy started watching him and gave him his own pool… :) Thanks so much for ckng this out Chijude~
David McLean
what an incredible capture… this is outstanding , I love it.
LjMaxx replied
HI David… Thank you! So pleased you commented. I had a blast…
Heloisa Castro
great shot
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Heloisa… :)
mlynnd
Great catch, on this guy!
LjMaxx replied
Hi Lynn. Thanks so commenting here.. :)
Paul Scarsella
Wow! amazing capture and commentary
LjMaxx replied
This turned out to be one of the top 10 days of my adult life. I will never forget the joy this all brought me. Splashing too.. Thanks Paul. So pleased you ck’d this one out.. :)
LjMaxx replied
p.s Like the new aviatar. Nice to see the persn behind the art & the words.. :)
Paul Scarsella
Thank you Lj – personally I think the bike looks better;) I can’t stop looking at your avatar.
LjMaxx replied
I like your new one best.. Great smile too.. Pleased for your comment here Paul.. (blush) T.Y.. Have a great day too.. :)
x- pose
Incredible, spectacular shot!!!
lorilee
AMAZING!!!!!!
Mark Peterson
Nicely captured Lj
jwinman
you are so lucky! I would love to see a whale breach! I saw a humpback one time at Laraby beach rubbing on rocks. It was very close, and an unforgettable experience.
LjMaxx replied
I was lucky indeed.. I watched for some time very close.. Thought our small boat was gonna tip. Great day in my life. Thank you sooo much here! :)
Gabriel Popa
I wish to be there, supreme capture….
LjMaxx replied
I wish to be there too Gabriel.. I love this place.. The Humpbacks were calling for thier mates this day.. Singing and jumping.. Slapping those huge fins on the water splashing me.. A grand site to see indeed.. I hope you too get to do this.. Thank you~ :)
Gabriel Popa
I swear , I’ll do it !!!
FelicityB
This for real is so near the top of my wish list … fabulous image! What an incredible experience
Auntymazza
Fantastic, where was this captured, our whale watching is starting soon on the Gold Coast Australia
Judith Hayes
Beautiful Capture!!!
theheijt
A fav
Tim Sanders
Now this is Just Awesome….My jaw would have been on the bottom of the boat….Fantastic capture…..
LjMaxx replied
Aww Tim.. It was spectacular.. They jumped all around me for quite some time. My boat was a small panga for fishing and it was rockin all over. I got some shots clearly enough but it was hard to stay contained both from him and my excitment.. Thanks again~ Lj
JennyDean
wow this is something i would loooooove to see! Brilliant :)
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much Jenny.. It was a great exp for me.. Dec-March they are in Mexico’s waters. Both Beluga and Humpback.
PhotoAvenue
Totally awesome capture!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much P.A. ~:)
VanillaDolphin
Awesome picture! Great timing! You did an amazing job!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks VD. Really appreciate that~ ~:)
Casey Herman
Wow, you sure were close to it! Last month when I went surfing, there was a whale about 75 yards away from us, and it had been in the area for a number of hours … and it was just the most awesome thing! So, I can relate to your elation!! The whale and I even got into a session of water slapping, and the more I slapped the water, the more IT slapped the water. I’m very sure that wasn’t a coincidence! They truly are an intelligent animal, and I’m grateful for its indulgence of my childish play!
Casey Herman
Oh, I’ve posted a photo of it in my portfolio … it’s nothing like yours, but I just like that I’ve got photos of it close to surfers.
LjMaxx replied
Hi Casey.. I was close. Could have touched him a few times if the panga wasnt so small and rockin.. What a grand exp this day was for me. I bet your fin slapping session was awesome. He just might have thought you were competition though..lol.. I too am grateful for my encounter with him.. I also saw a Beluga Mom and baby not to far from this location. What a day! Really appreciate your comments and interest. T.Y. ~::))
paolo1955
You have a knack for taking fantastic photos
LjMaxx replied
Hi Paolo. Thanks so much. I have been admirering your work for sometime now. Observing your style and defined techniques. Your gallery here is brimming over with wonderful images that I have so enjoyed seeing. So pleased for this comment.. ~:)))
kenspics
WOW…what an amazing photo ..and experience!!!!
Thank you for sharing!!!!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks so much Ken. It was quite the exp for me. I hope to do it all agian next year~ :)))
AmandaH
Awesome shot Lj… :o)
LjMaxx replied
Hi Amanda. Thank you for this comment!!!
louisegreen
Superb shot!
LjMaxx replied
Hi Louise. Many Thanks! :)
Svetlana Sewell
WOW – what a great shot – love it!
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Svetlana. It was a grand day for me.. ~:)
Paul Woloschuk
A fine shot. An excellent capture!
I was lucky to take a Whale Watch trip out of Gloster, Mass several years ago, and the sight of these Humpbacks is one I’ll never forget.
LjMaxx replied
Thanks Paul.. It was a day I will never forget. I went out fishing and this Whale was all around me for abit of time.. Talk about fishing huh.. lol. :)))
ronaldok555
Excellent catch, love this shot!