What do you do when Beantown has a heat index of 101 on a July afternoon? Find the nearest boat, meet roughly 280 people and head 26 miles off shore for a 3 hour tour. Yes, there was a skipper, several that looked like they wanted to be Ginger and I had my own Mary Ann, but no, this was not part of a remake of a famous TV show from my youth. It was a quest for adventure on the ocean with some of the largest inhabitants of our blue world…and a magnificent show of color for a closing treat.
One of my enjoyments in Boston during the summer is taking a whale watching tour. This is one of only a few places you can be so close to these incredible creatures and witness some of their natural behaviors on their terms. There are no trainers or tricks, just observing them surfacing to catch a breath and then, with a high waving tale, descending to great depths. Sometimes they are seen in the distance and other times they come close…quite close…giving us wonderful view. Inspired by the great novel from Herman Melville, I texted by bride, who was sitting right next to me mind you, the simple words “Calm me Ishmael.” With a smile, she quickly replied with a witty quote from the same. This continued for the duration of our trip.
After priceless encounter after encounter with a small group of humpback whales, it was time for our 120’ vessel to return to her home port in Boston Harbor. The setting sun had not only cast a wonderful golden light on our aquatic friends, but now it was to treat us with a truly amazing show of rich colors for the closing act of the day. While I knew I could never capture the full natural beauty we were enjoying, I wanted to capture the feeling of the moment through our eyes and the reaction of those around us.
To make this image, I used the perspective of the unique bow design of the boat to move your eye forward in the image towards the setting sun. The soft cloud pattern added interest in the sky. The near-white reflection in the water acts as a welcome map leading to the principle player in this play. I was careful to capture the gentle rim-light that outlined the 19 souls that frame the bottom edge of this image. It was truly the perfect end to a perfect adventure on a perfect day!
“I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.”
― Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
Photo Tip: 3 Frame Hand-Held HDR, Processed in Photomatix Pro, LR and Topaz Clarity.
Travel Tip: Boston Harbor Cruises provides an excellent service for whale watching with frequent trips from Boston’s Long Wharf.