Comment from Sange
Hmmm Gigantic Whale watching in a small Kodiak!!
Nope! Rather be on dry land with a Gator Thanks!
This had to be a Truly magical Moment visually as well as by sound. Hearing the whale come flying out if the water and fall back in.
Wicked Coooool capture Bud!
Impressed with the shutter speed on your cell.
Focus is sharp and Exposure Controlled.
Great work Bud!!!

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Well I thought it over and finally decided "I aint skeerd". Definitely a lucky series of shots. Man these guys are BIG! Thanks for your always great thoughts Bud ~ Bud

reply by Sange on 18-Feb-2018

Ha! ;)

Comment from Barbara L.
Wow! It's amazing how close you were to this huge whale! I like how you captured it rising out of the water and I like the water splashing around it. I enjoyed your narrative too. Great entry for the contest! Best of luck!

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thank you so much Barbara. I was very lucky as it all happened so fast that I really did not see what happened. I just instinctively started pushing the button. It wasn't until afterwards that I actually saw and realized what had happened. Thanks again Barbara ~ Steve

Comment from ArtistCharles
Great action and nature shot. I never cease to be amazed at the quality of shots that can be made with iphones. This must have been an exhilarating moment. Not sure I would want to be out there in a small kodiak.

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thank you Carl. The small Kodiak made it all that much more of a thrill. Man these guys are BIG! It all happened very fast and I got really lucky. Thanks again Charles ~ Steve

Comment from shoregrass
Great notes, Steve. When you are able to capture something like this no editing is necessary. It speaks for itself and takes the viewer into the real experience with you. Well done literally on the fly and a great share for us all to see.

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thanks Ed. Yes it all happened so fast that I did not actually see what happened. Only afterward did I realize how luck i got to get the captures. Thanks again Ed ~ Steve

reply by shoregrass on 18-Feb-2018

Welcome

Comment from dalebraatz
This is a great action shot, the textures in the water around the whale has great textures, colors are great, a pleasure to look at, thank you for sharing, dale

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thank you dale for your review and comments ~ Steve

Comment from Malmax
Talk about perfect timing, it doesn't get any better than that! What an incredible capture of this humpback whale at such a close distance.
Your shot is excellent and has fantastic detail and clarity.
I'm sure the emotions were high seeing this magnificent mammal. Beautiful work and wonderful artist notes.
Malmax

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thanks so much Marsha. To be honest it all happened so fast that I don't even remember seeing this guy. It was only after I looked at the pictures did I truly get a feel for what happened. Magnificent creatures. Thanks again Marsha ~ Steve

reply by Malmax on 19-Feb-2018

Pleasure was all mine Steve!

Comment from alaskapat
Initial impact: WOW! Talk about being at the right place at the exact right time! This is an incredible sight for sure! It's very exciting to view this amazing creature! It's well focused too and the water really shows the powerful motion well! This is very well presented and I enjoyed viewing and reading your notes !

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thank you so much Pat. I got really lucky with this series of shots. They do look much better when edited but still a dynamic creature. Thanks again Pat ~ Steve

Comment from karen zima
This is a great shot of a hump back whale. How close did the boat come or is this a telephoto? Nice framing and details. Love the water splash that you have captured of him coming out of the water. Nice work, Steve.

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thank you so much Karen. My iPhone doesn't have much of a telephoto. This guy surfaced about 75 feet away. To be honest I don't even remember seeing him. It all happened so fast. I instinctively just kept pushing the button. It wasn't until later when I looked at the pictures did I fully realize what happened. Got very lucky. Thanks again Karen ~ Steve

Comment from michiganmike
A rare sight; especially at this close a range. The exposure is very good and the foaming water is very attractive. Best of luck in the contest.

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 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thank you very much. Unfortunately because of the contest rules this has to be Unedited. It is what it is. Thanks again Mike ~ Steve

Comment from angel4451
Considering this is a shot from a camera, it is amazing. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I bet if you adjusted the lighting and contrast just a little, it would make it pop more. Congrats on this amazing shot.

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 18-Feb-2018

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reply by the author on 18-Feb-2018

Thank you so much for your review and comments. This contest is "As Is" and there can be no after photo adjustments. I have made numerous adjustments which really make this a great shot yet it cannot be entered in this contest. Thank you again ~ Steve