Humpback whale flukes

Humpback whale encounters are a plenty down here in the summer season, as they swim down from their breeding and birthing grounds in order to feed on Antarctic Krill. During this time down here they feed continuously, which can be over a tonne of food a day. This is to ensure they have the energy, blubber and fat reserves to swim the 1,000's of miles to their reproductive grounds and back down to their feeding grounds the following summer season.

The typical behaviour you see from the surface from humpbacks on the peninsula is a series of breaths followed by them arching their backs and they present their fluke into the air before descending to the depths in search of food. The moment they present their fluke is beautiful sight and tends to silence everyone on board the zodiac or they all make gasping sounds. Funny enough the moment they descend down is usually when everyone brings their cameras up to take a photo but its too late, as the animals won't be re-surfacing for a few minutes either after they find food or they take a big gulp of antarctic krill.