Britse 'walvisman' Duncan Murrell uit Devon fotografeert bultrugwalvissen bij Alaska vanuit een kleine kayak

Amazing pictures of humpback whales taken by

kayak man

A British man has captured astonishing close-up photographs of humpback whales by paddling alongside them in a tiny kayak.

04-01-2010 By Nick Collins, The Daily Telegraph, UK


Duncan Murrell, 56, who has earned the nickname “Whaleman”, approaches the 40-tonne animals in a folding kayak as they feed off the shores of Alaska.

He says the small craft enables him to move right up to the whales without disturbing them as they hunt for prey.

His photographs reveal the intimate, close-range view of the humpbacks he is able to enjoy from his vantage point.

Mr Murrell, from Paignton, Devon, who has been photographing whales for 20 years, said his fascination began after a sailing trip he took in 1978 while visiting relatives in British Columbia.

He said: “A humpback whale approached our boat and dived beneath us whilst releasing a trail of bubbles, much to the alarm of my partner but to my open-mouthed amazement."

Mr Murrell, who began following the animals every summer on their seasonal hunt for food, paddles as much as thirty miles a day to keep up with them.

He said: “I could not have chosen a more demanding and challenging subject to photograph than the whales. They are submerged for the majority of the time so I can never be sure where they will surface next.”

The intrepid photographer also has to keep his wits about him to avoid being trapped as the whales herd mackerel by releasing a string of bubbles that form a net around the fish.

He said: “After detecting the bubbles on the surface I try to make sure that I’m on the right side of the net. Then the feeding group rushes to the surface and I have only a split second to decide whether I should either have my camera in my hands or my paddle to take evasive action.”

(Bron: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/)

(Bron foto: Daily Telegraph)