“Morning Meditation”

"MORNING MEDITATION"- Limited Edition 250 - Humpback Whale, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

The sound of a whale clearing the surface of a calm ocean, exhaling life into the world, and slowly diving, as the massive tail breaks the surface is an amazing experience on the water. The Sea of Cortez, or Gulf of California as it is also known, is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that Separating the Baja California peninsula from the Mexican mainland, lies a magical underwater paradise known as the aquarium of the World.  The Sea of Cortez.   It has a vast coastline of over 2500 miles and borders four states: Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora and Sinaloa. Unique geography including deep waters and a latitude stretching from temperate to tropical ensure a rich diversity of life, both large and small. The humpback whale is one of the largest mammals that migrate through the Cabo San Lucas area from November through April. Cabo’s location at the tip of the Baja peninsula provides a unique opportunity for both watching and studying Humpback Whales. There is a resident population of females that return each year to mate and calve, spending the entire winter season here. Cabo San Lucas is also the bottleneck for Humpback Whales that winter further to the south or in the Sea of Cortez.

This photo was taken in late February, 2022.  I was visiting Cabo, hoping to shoot some underwater photography on humpbacks and orcas.  A few days before I arrived, the water turned, and the visibility went from crystal clear to green and cloudy.  It was very frustrating, not being able to shoot underwater, but with all wildlife and nature photography, and especially ocean photography, you just have to be patient, and take what nature provides for you.  The first day we made several jumps with humpbacks, and had a great interaction with a mom and calf, but the conditions for photography were just not good at all.  The second day, we decided to go for top water shooting.  Right out of the gate, we got on several groups of whales performing acrobatic breaches almost totally out of the water. We spent the day following them observing them breach, and slap the water with their pectoral fins and tails. By the end of the day, I felt that I had gotten some of the best whale photos in my adventures to date.