©Byron Towles
November 11, 2021
Feeding Frenzy
- as seen by -
Byron Towles
During an afternoon whale watching cruise out of Anacortes, Washington, we got to see several humpback whales diving and sounding, along with bald eagles, haul-outs of Steller’s sea lions, and other marine life.
As we made our way back to the dock towards sundown, we came upon a bait ball of herring that had been rounded up and brought to the surface by a whale. Gulls, cormorants, and other seabirds were all gorging themselves when, to our delight, this lone harbor seal, Phoca vitulina, popped up in the middle of it all and joined the feeding frenzy, while we all fired away with our cameras.
We never got to see the whale that provided this bounty, but this was a fitting end to our day on the water.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This photo was chosen as one the top submissions for Wild View’s Make a Splash. Enter our current assignment, Fall Colors, celebrating the seasonal change.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II lens, w/EF 1.4x III extender
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