Humpback whale pod in Lynn Canal in the Inside Passage of Alaska, USA

© John Hyde/plainpicture

Humpback whale pod in Lynn Canal in the Inside Passage of Alaska, USA

Humpback whales are found in virtually all the world’s oceans, although they don’t swim in the extra-cold waters of the Arctic. This pod is breaching the surface of Lynn Canal in the Alaska portion of the Inside Passage, where the whales return in summer for the feeding season after sensibly wintering in warmer tropical waters. The Inside Passage is a coastal route for ships and boats along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific coast of North America. This time of year, Lynn Canal and nearby portions of the Inside Passage are full of whale-watching boats. As the humpbacks gorge on salmon, krill and other small fish, human observers get to enjoy the show as the whales surface to hunt or simply catch their breath.