22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Happiness

After searching for Southern Resident Killer Whales in the Pacific Northwest for nine weeks and coming up empty, I finally captured one of the shots I had been dreaming of. A breaching orca. Capturing a shot like this was harder than I ever imagined based on the unpredictability of the action.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2024
Date Uploaded: 10.2024
Photo Location: Friday Harbor, Washington, United States of America
Copyright: © Derek Nielsen