A first glance it would appear the dolphins are swimming together peacefully through the forest. But on closer inspection you can see that the imagine is flipped 180’ and its actually is a rare hunt! The large dolphin, a transient Killer Whale is attacking the smaller Pacific White-Sided Dolphin. 

What I love about art and photography is that its very subjective and people appreciate different things, I prefer this image this way, especially as a print as it really draws you in and is intriguing but…you could also flip it if you prefer.

Day 10 camping in bear country, the day finally came. I’d been heading out most days, searching at low tide for wolves but often saw a huge pod of dolphins feeding in the tidal currents. Today I headed out in the opposite direction, weaving between the maze of islands here in the Broughton Archipelago. I stopped to have some tea and not long after could hear but not see, the unmistakable sound of blows, whales exhaling as they breached the surface. The succession between the blows was quick and I knew it was killer whales. My first glimpse was quite uneventful and they were particularly hard to track, doing very long dives in all directions. Knowing the topography and bathymetry of the area, I thought there was a very small chance, if they kept in the same direction, they would be funnelled towards where I had seen the dolphins. Transient killer whales predate mainly on harbour seals, sea lions and porpoises although I'd heard stories of them attacking dolphins but never seen pictures. The dolphins could have moved on and the orcas may not be interested in hunting but I thought it would be worth being patient just in case. I read my book for hours, drank my tea and from a few miles away kept the orcas within the focal range of my binoculars. It was about an hour from darkness but we were approaching where I had seen the dolphins yesterday. Then the orcas did an extremely long dive and I knew something was about to happen. I grabbed my camera, took a test shot for the low light and then the water exploded. Around 200 dolphins started to bolt, faster than I'd ever seen, then, striking from below a killer whale smashed a dolphin about 30 feet into the air. The pod of dolphins continued mainly airborne, but not this dolphin. The orcas worked as a team, chasing, then attacking it from below, launching the poor dolphin into the air with immense force. With continuous strikes the dolphins was thrown into the air, I imagine breaking the ribs and then with a final blow, maybe even the spine. It was sad to watch but they were clearly teaching the young orca of the pod hunting tactics. After an hour, just before sunset, the water turned red and the hunt was over

Prize Sizes: Sizing Guide Page

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EXTRA LARGE:  40" x 60" (no border) *Best Value Size to Price Ratio

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Photographer: Mark Williams

Printed on: Giclée Hahnemühle Photo Rag