A Whale of a Time

As the Zuiderdam sailed north through the Inside Passage, it wasn't long before we saw our first humpbacked whales.  The first sign was when the whales came to the surface to breathe, blowing a large spout of misty water into the air.

Once you spot that spout, you will likely see one or two others.  Then, you usually see the whale's arched back, complete with hump, followed by its tail coming up out of the water, as it prepares to dive.

Although we saw 19 whales on the trip, none of these breached the surface.  That's when almost the entire whale jumps out of the water.  Maybe, next time ...

As I review these photos, I think that the whales looked much bigger when I saw them.  An adult whale is between 12-16 m long and weighs approximately 36 tonnes.  The human eye focuses on just part of a scene, the whale, whereas the camera shows the entire scene.