Advice on photographing Whales

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

ajrbrown

Registered
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
I'm heading to Australia this July and am hoping to go on a liveaboard diving with Minke Whales and then on to New Caledonia and Tahiti where I'm hoping to go to Rurutu for the Humpbacks. I use a Sony P9 digital camera and have a lens adaptor for Sea&Sea Lenses. I'm currently torn between buying a 20mm and 16mm Wide Angle Lens. Any advice on what might be better for my needs?

Cheers

Andrew
 
I will say that while diving in the Coral Sea off of Australia we were able to see both Humpback and Minke whales. We only saw the Humpback from a distance. We were able to snokel on lines thrown behind the boat with the Minke whales. Filming them would have been very difficult, the contrast between the blue neverland below them as they swam under you would make it hard to discern them on the film. They were most noticeable by their fin markings that are white. Even though the Minke whales would past directly under us and even turn and look at you with one eye they seemed hard to see with their coloration. They also kept their distance never getting closer than 30ft. from us. I was able to see one a bit closer when on the GBR, once while I was returning to the boat and out of film, a Minke passed under me maybe twenty feet below me but I didn't realize it immediatly it just seemed as if the bottom was moving at first until I saw the white fin markings and then......of course I was out of film!
Diving is fun,
Caymaniac
 
we saw and photographed minkes off the SPoilsport in the Coral Sea 2001. I thought they came out nicely on film (well, digital :) ) .

I would suggest as wide angle as you can. THey are big animals. Also, they are easier to approach on snorkels. Here's a link to the pics I took: Minke whales

Chris
 

Back
Top Bottom