When Humpbacks Hit
Snorkeling with humpbacks can be challenging. They are here in Newfoundland feeding voraciously on a buffet of capelin. There are literally schools of millions of fish that the whales gently scoop up to fill their bellies. Visibility can be challenging, but we floated quietly for over five hours in the chilly water, bouncing in the growing seas. The humpbacks became curious for a short while and swam by us, sometimes turning around and catching us in a wake of bubbles created by their crashing tails. The repetitive behavior was entrancing and fun. On one pass, a pair of whales dropped their load, dowsing Cas and I in a cloud of endless, murky whale shit. The capelin went after it… cannibalism I suppose! Some of the whales rolled and showed us their bellies, flapping their flippers in a slow pass. But when a humpback gets too close, their tail slap is a wake up call. We were incredibly privileged to share the water with these amazing creatures.
