In her eleven years’ experience as a seasonal crew member on polar expeditions, Eva Westerholm had never had a wildlife encounter like this before. Earlier that day there had been an announcement that we were to embark on an unscheduled excursion. The captain had spotted two pods starboard of the ship. We could not believe our luck, today we would be kayaking with Humpback whales in Antarctica.
Choosing between a Zodiac or Kayak…
Motorized zodiac boats can easily keep up with a pod of humpbacks, unlike kayaks. So there was a risk of missing out on the whales if I went with the kayaks. Based on the interactions we had with seals on the previous days’ excursion however, I knew how intimate kayak encounters could be. Armed with my DSLR and makeshift waterproof case, myself and ten others took the gamble and descended into the sea on kayaks – the risk paid off.
One of the many tail flukes we saw that day
Up close and personal
Close encounters: what to expect
To reduce the chance of interfering with the whales we stopped just over 100 meters from the pod. Our expedition giddily clicked away as we captured the whales playfully interacting. Soon after, the eruption of blowholes started to rapidly approach our vessels. The zodiacs were able to swiftly move out of the way and our kayaking group went as fast as possible to avoid collisions. Little did we know the pod was not trying to pass us. Rather, they were just as curious… and eager to say hello.
Three adult humpback whales approximately 11-15 meters long swam directly toward my kayak. The sheer enormity of them compared to my boat was mind-blowing. The way they glided through the water was a thing of beauty. I looked around at my kayak buddy with a smile from ear to ear as one passed underneath us. It wasn’t until I watched his Go Pro footage later that I realized he was frantically telling me to brace myself for capsize. In that instant I could hear nothing, I was completely captivated in the moment.
The whales were acutely aware of our presence and despite their enormity causing waves in the water, they swam around us, getting ever so close but never making contact. I lost count of the number of tail flukes we saw that day – they were loving the attention. One whale even raised its head above the water and started spinning around less than a meter from a zodiac. It was the most amazing display of inquisitiveness I had ever seen.
A life-changing experience
This encounter was a defining moment of my life. It made me determined to share the wonders of our world and sparked my passion for wildlife photography. 5 years and 102 countries later, Antarctica remains the most utterly mesmerizing place I have ever had the honour of visiting.
