Humpback Whales Underwater
28 worksFirst upload: Oct 2018Peak: 2024Last 12 months: 6
📝 Description
These images depict humpback whales swimming underwater, often featuring mothers and calves in tropical locations like Réunion Island and Tonga. Photographers focus on the massive scale and distinct physical features of these marine mammals, such as their ventral pleats and long pectoral fins. The shots vary between close-ups of individual animals and wider views showing social interactions or pairs swimming together. Natural light filtering from the surface creates strong contrasts against the deep blue water. The group is united by the visual motif of humpback whales in their natural aquatic habitat.
How to shoot it
📍 Where to shoot
Shooting takes place underwater in the open ocean off the coasts of the Ryukyu Islands (Japan), Reunion, and Tonga.
🗺️ On the map
Based on the authors' marks on the site map.
🕐 Time of day
Most shot between 4:00 and 7:00 (35% of frames)
Based on 23 frames with camera data. Camera clock time; the time zone is unknown.
The best time to shoot is early morning, mainly between 4 and 5 AM, when the light is soft and animals are active.
🗓️ Season
Most shot in: September, August, March
Based on 23 frames with camera data
The main season for observing humpback whales in these locations is August and September.
🎒 Gear
Use ultra-wide-angle lenses (8–15 mm) or fisheye to convey the scale and proximity of the whales. An underwater housing with a dome port is mandatory for correct perspective.
Cameras and lenses the authors used (10)
Nikon D850 8Olympus OM-1 4Canon EOS 7D Mark II 1Olympus E-M1MarkII 1Sony ILCE-7SM3 1Sigma 15mm F2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye 3FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM 3AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED 3LUMIX G FISHEYE 8mm F3.5 3Tokina AT-X 107 AF DX 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 Fisheye 1
🧳 What to bring
Underwater housing with a dome port, spare batteries for the camera and lights, dry bags for electronics, wetsuit or neoprene suit depending on water temperature.
⚙️ Settings
Shutter 1/320 (1/500 – 1/160)Aperture f/7.1 (f/4.5 – f/8)ISO 320 (160 – 1000)Focal length 15 mm (8 – 28)
Based on 23 frames with camera data. Median and 10-90% range across the idea frames.
The key parameter is shutter speed: use 1/500 s or faster (43% of such shots) to capture whale movement. Aperture f/7.1, ISO 320.
⚠️ Good to know
Follow ethics: do not interfere with the whales' breathing and movement, maintain a safe distance. In Japan (Okinawa), calves often press against their mothers from below for support, which is important to consider when composing.
📈 How the idea developed
works uploadedshare of all site uploads, per 100k
The date is when the file was uploaded to the site. The chart counts works assigned to the idea.
✅ How to repeat it
- Use freedivers in the frame to convey the scale of rare white humpback whales.
- Capture the moment of eye contact with an energetic calf through an ultra-wide-angle lens.
✨ Interesting facts
- 🏆 How the best frame was shot: Nikon D850, AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, 1/500, f/8, ISO 200, 14 mm
- 📐 77% of frames are landscape orientation
- 🥇 6 works reached the finals. Best contest: Wildlife: Mammals 2026
- 👤 Most frequent authors: Kurashima Daisuke 6KOBAYASHI KIMIO 4Joaquin Fregoni 2Lissandra Sharleen Amezcua 2nishijima takayuki 2
- 🌍 Authors by country: 🇯🇵 JP 14🇦🇷 AR 3🇲🇽 MX 2🇷🇪 RE 1🇷🇺 RU 1
Some tips are prepared by AI from the idea description, photos and their EXIF. Check the rules and access to places before you travel.
Works
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