Photographing humpbacks: A Personal Perspective

Kevin Palmer & Tanya G. Burnett · Issue 138, May/Jun 2024 · pp. 51–55

Products mentioned: Nikon D500, Nikon D7000, Nikon D7200, Nikon D300, Nikon D800, Nauticam housing, Tokina 10-17mm lens, 8-15mm lens, 28-300mm lens, 70-200mm lens, Olympus TG-6

Few experiences can rival the ineffable impact of being in the water with an air breathing creature that is about 500 times your size and weight. A cetacean that can look you in the eye and choose to either hang out or glide away has a lasting effect on many people. But where is the best place to go and what is the gear you really need to capture that moment? In the last several years, many traveling photographers have flocked to the famous locations where humpbacks congregate to mate and calf. People naturally want the latest and greatest places that allow an in-water experience with these mammals, often exotic locales like northern Tonga and the island of Moorea in French Polynesia. The siren’s call of 130’ visibility and a verdant South Pacific backdrop is certainly understandable! But after experiencing many locations around the world and how they operate, we have concluded that the …