Humpback off Maui

[interalian]

Sorry it's a link, but Photobucket is more like Botophucket right now.

Shot off Lahaina HI, Feb 16/17 with my new D500.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/int...7 - Version 2_zpsg0yw8ud7.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

 

[squirrelnest]

Nice pic....excellent color!

 

[2011etec]

Nice pic.When i was out west i got a couple of pics on a whale watching tour but i didnot have a zoom at the time.A German tourist had a cannon camera and the lens would of been right at home as a replacement for the main 16 inch on the New Jersey!

 

[ConradH]

Nothing better than Maui, especially with a Mai Tai in hand.

 

[Sandstrom]

Beautiful shot, one of those lifetime memories that will be with you forever, thanks for sharing.

 

[Old Ears too]

Wow, great timing!
Thanks for sharing that with us.

I take it the D500 is a keeper?

 

[interalian]

Nothing better than Maui, especially with a Mai Tai in hand.

Indeed. This is our 9th trip in 7 years. Or is it 10th? I can't remember. We've been coming to watch the whales off the NW Maui shores in February for years. Now I have a picture I can blow up and frame to provide daily reminders of the sight. We're going on another tour next Wednesday and I'm hoping to get more. I'll certainly share if I do. Shooting with a Nikon D500 and Tamron 70-200mm.

Not quite the same thing, but here's a couple more I took of our lanai using a longer lens - Tamron 150-600mm:

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/interalian/library/Whales?sort=3&page=1

 

[old_tv_nut]

Wow - wonderful luck and a great shot. I have been there and only saw a back and tail or two at a great distance - while the tour just before mine had one swim right up to the boat.

 

[interalian]

Wow, great timing!
Thanks for sharing that with us.

I take it the D500 is a keeper?

Yup, the D500 is amazing - I've only had it for a week and it is so much more than my D7100 was. DXO mark says the image quality is no better than the 7100 but mechanically it's 10 times the camera.

This shot is one from a 15 shot burst caught at 10 frames per second whilst bobbing around on a 25' rubber pontoon boat. Focus is lightning quick and the colours are incredible. I'll be using this to shoot my son's football this season.

EDIT: just added the whole series to the link: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/interalian/library/Whales?sort=9&page=1

 

[Old Ears too]

I like seeing the island in the background, it gives a good scale of how close to the land the whales really are.

 

[onepixel]

Sweet shot. Did you get in the water and hear them sing?

 

[interalian]

Sweet shot. Did you get in the water and hear them sing?

Thanks. No, didn't hear them directly as we were on a boat. The tour operators usually drop a hydrophone over the side and put their PA mic to the speaker. Plenty of whale song both times we were out. About the only things I heard whilst underwater snorkeling was the snap/crack from parrotfish eating coral.

And now we're back home to the land of ice and snow, what little tan I can get fades away...