In Northern Canada these small white whales gather at the mouth
of the Churchill River to feed and socialize. The window of opportunity
to see these animals is small, depending on when the ice in Hudson Bay
actually breaks up and allows the animals into the river. Water
temperatures in the bay are just above freezing, while the river water
temperature is balmy in comparison, about 52 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mothers and calves are here in abundance. The calves are born much
darker than their mothers, often a deep gray. They will eventually
whiten to their adult coloration. This may take between 5 and 12 years.
In the river they are quite inquisitive and often approach boats and
snorkelers.
Beluga’s seem to delight in blowing bubbles at the boat and at
snorkelers as well! In the dark waters these bubbles often seem like
smoke signals and surely must aid the animals in seeing each other.
Along with the bubbles comes a cacophony of sound as the Beluga’s chirp
and whistle all around. Sometimes the sound of their vocalizations can
actually be heard above the water through the hull of the boat!
Working up the nerve to get into such cold waters can take a lot of
effort, but the results are very rewarding! When a snowy white adult
Beluga approaches with curiosity in these dark waters, you almost feel
as if you are seeing a ghost. When a coalition of adult males surround
you, the feeling is that of being enveloped by apparitions! The contrast
of dark and white is almost overwhelming!
TIPS FOR BELUGA PHOTOGRAPHS: Here in this part of
Canada, Beluga’s don’t seem quite so active topside. The action really
comes in the water. Because the adults are so white in such dark waters
it is very easy for a cameras metering system to overexpose these white
whales. Conventional wisdom is to overexpose white subjects in order to
bring out the white, but I find that it is just the opposite. I actually
underexpose with my Nikonos V by a stop and a half to a stop and two
thirds. If I don’t, I get severe “ghosting” around white animals. If
using a housed SLR you could spot meter off the white of an animal and
adjust up from there. I found snip tests to be very helpful in finally
deciding on correct exposures. I prefer to use my Nikonos V bodies with
either a 12mm or 15mm lens. Water temps here are of course very cold, so
a dry suit is a must. Air temperatures can be anything from cold to very
hot, adding to the challenge. And to top it all off the flies and
mosquitoes are the stuff of legends! Be prepared for anything (including
Polar Bears)!
