Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

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