Drone Video Captures Kayaker Paddling with Blue Whales
Filmmaker Patrick Dykstra's footage highlights the sheer size of the gentle aquatic giants.
Drone footage from filmmaker Patrick Dykstra really brings home the sheer size of blue whales, as a single kayaker is dwarfed by the enormous creature of the sea.
Shot off the coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, viewers are treated to amazing video of the kayaker trailing the gentle giant as well as other underwater shots captured as Dykstra swam alongside it.
The blue whale, at some 98 feet (30 meters) long, is the largest animal on Earth today and is thought to be the largest ever to have lived.
According to the Barcroft TV Youtube channel, Dykstra was able to realize a dream he'd had since childhood of swimming with blue whales. Mission accomplished.
Hat tip, as well as some wonderful photos, Daily Mail
Few animals are as majestic and awe-inspiring as whales. Their sheer size, coupled with their underwater elegance, makes seeing just a hint of one breaking the ocean's surface a life goal for many of us. Among the more well-known of these glorious giants is the musical, acrobatic humpback. "This photo was taken in August off of the island of Vavau in the Kingdom of Tonga," says photographer Karim Iliya, "moments after this juvenile humpback whale took a sharp turn to avoid smashing into me. See more of his story in a
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"The babies are these curious clumsy little creatures that can fill you with so much joy that your heart feels like it will explode from your chest," Iliya said.
200-Year-Old Whale May Hold Clues to Long Life
Not every interaction is so calm and peaceful. When you swim with whales, sometimes you get a playful juvenile, but other times you can find yourself in the middle of an all out frenzy. This is what happened to Iliya after jumping into the water, not knowing battle-scarred adult male humpbacks were fighting over the right to mate with the lone female.
"Four large male humpback whales emerged, two of them broke off and started smashing into each other blowing bubbles, tails whipping around," Iliya said. "They came closer and closer all the while fighting, a 5-meter-long tale whipped near my face, and the thought occurred to me that I would be pulverized between these two school bus sized animals."
"Looking back on the images that I had taken I see that the whales were looking at me, even as they fought. It is a true testament to the gentleness of these giants that they would take the time and effort to avoid crushing this tiny little creature before them. "
"The thing that I loved most about photographing humpback whales is the level of interaction that you have with them. They are highly intelligent creatures with distinct personalities and will convey a range of emotions and attitude like curiosity and playfulness, or even annoyance."