Southern Right Whales - De Hoop
Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 06:09PM 
Southern Right Whales travel from the Antartic to shelterd bays along the South African coast to give birth to the calves during the winter months. De Hoop Nature Marine reserve holds the most important calving and nursey grounds and I was delighted to except an invitation from friend and reserve manager Peter Chadwick to participate in a helicopter survey of these whales. We have been flying surveys for great white sharks for a number of years, but this was my first whale survey at De Hoop. Photographing whales from the air nototriously difficult and more often than not sea and wind conditions are not favorable. With great luck, conditions were perfect, the sea was almost flat and the wind just a light onshore breeze. In ca. 2 hours of flying I photographed not only two mating events but also a white calf and its mother. Along just 10 km of coastline we counted in excess of 300 southern right whales.