maurizio caduto diving with the Orcas

Years ago I came across some intriguing news about Orcas in the North Sea gathering into the Norwegian fjords between end of October and mid November. Usually they live and hunt in the open sea but in those few weeks they follow a huge school of herrings into the fjords to feed on them. This behavior - both the herring's and Orcas' - is uncommon and not fully understood. In fact it is happening for a few years and might revert anytime. I waited until the next November and then I flew to Lofoten.

In this period of the year the daylight at such a latitude lasts for about five hours - from 10 AM to 3 PM. A pale sun sit on the horizon line so low that the rays don't even pierce the water. The water temperature almost never rises above 4 degrees. Diving is painful; under the dry suit I had to wear thick wool and pile cloths - including a scarf! Technically you don't really scuba dive as the Orcas won't spend much time in the same area so you're better off skin diving.

We spend most of the short day chasing the herrings that will eventually take us to the Orcas. Then we would position the boat few meters ahead waiting for the Orcas to come close. Standing on the rim of the boat in all my Mash mellow-man attire I was staring a dozen of large black dorsal fins cutting the black water few meters away and closing. I asked myself: "What the hell am I doing here". Then I jumped.

Suddenly the black water turns into crystal clear and you can see the Orcas approaching from far. They come very close but they are so awesome that you forget everything you heard or you thought you knew about them. The young ones - easily a 2 meters long fellow - are curious and come so close you could touch them. If you do so or you chase them you'll get acquainted with the mother. She will be there in a split second, floating barely a meter from your face in all her five, six meters length and God only knows how many teeth. When she feels that you've got the massage she leaves with her "baby". Female Orcas and cubs will swim around gracefully but when you see the male well, that's a different ball game. He is huge, bold, the dorsal fin straight and much longer then the female's. He makes you feel like the invisible man, just passing you by like a train that doesn't even slow down in a secondary station.

When hunting the female will swim around the herrings showing her white belly. Scared, the fishes will get closer and closer to each other until they are packed into what looks like a large sphere. That's when the male comes into play slapping the fish with its powerful tail again and again. Often underwater you will hear the blast that this action produces. When it's over the water is full of herrings floating dead or stunned. Then is lunch time. But the Orcas doesn't rush swallowing dozens of fish at time like whales. Instead they take their pick carefully. When the feeding is over all is left are thousands of herring's scales floating in the dark water like stars in the night. The Orcas are gone, the herrings too; I surface, it's snowing. My hands are numb, my lips too. My cheeks hurt - I have smiled all the way through the dive.

To take pictures in this conditions is a very challenging task. You are not going to use a flash light so go for film instead of slides and push it to 1600 ASA or more - below 800 ASA it might be nearly useless. Although the Orcas comes close enough to fill up a 20mm. I found a 28 or 35 mm. more versatile. In fact the water is so transparent that you can start shooting when the Orcas is still quite far and go for close ups when she approaches.

Do have your land flash light ready for shots from the boat where you can use a lower speed. Still remember that you don't have much light and the boat always moves. You will need a 70-200 mm. f 2.8 and a tele-converter. Overall make sure your camera can stand freezing temperature without jamming and have enough dry towels on board. Use equipment you know very well 'coz you'll need to be very fast. This is no time for brand-new-still-need-to-master kind of equipment.

Just remember that with the Orcas or not you are in a area of stunning beauty - the Lofoten. Bring along your dry land equipment if you are into landscape photos.

Introduction - Sudan - The BUrma Bank - Northern Red Sea - Nusa Tengara - Orcas

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