November 27, 2006

Flipper Flapping and Tail Lobbing

Now that the Alaska season is over, much of the equipment onboard the ships is sent to Seattle for maintenance.   One item that makes it's way to the Seattle office is the digital camera that each Exploration Leader carries onboard.  The cameras receive quite a work-out during the summer months.  Each week, our ELs produce a photo slide show for our guests to enjoy on the last night of the cruise. 

A few weeks ago, Scott Steinke, our techie guru, was cleaning up the cameras, erasing the memory cards and getting the cameras ready for another season of work. Scott knows that I'm always on the lookout for those special, heart-stopping moments that often happen but are rarely recorded.  So, when he came into my office, grinning ear-to-ear, I knew that something good was about to happen.  Sure enough,  Scott had discovered a series of video clips on one of the cameras of a Humpback whale flipper-flapping and tail-lobbing.  For me, it was like finding $20 in the pocket of a jacket that I hadn't worn since last season.  What a find! 

Happening upon a whale exhibiting this behavior is rare.  In the three summers that I spent in Alaska, I probably only witnessed the flipper flapping 10-12 times.  Capturing it on video is even rarer.  I hope that you enjoy the clips.

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Most of our Alaska cruises travel through the fertile waters of Frederick Sound and Icy Straight.  Both of these passages are known as feeding grounds for the Humpback Whales.  We also have one special itinerary, our Wilderness Inside Passage Cruise with a Whale Guarantee. 

Posted by Leigh on November 27, 2006 11:10 AM

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