Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Back to Capt. Dave's Blog

Five Fabulous Tips for Photographing Whales and Dolphins

A smartphone films a whale approaching passengers on Capt. Dave's catamaran near Dana Point, California

Marine life photography is a great motivation to get out in the water and capture some beautiful wildlife in their ocean home! At Captain Dave’s Whale Watching in Dana Point, we are lucky to admire a wide array of marine life from soaring seabirds to migrating whales to mega-pods of dolphins that call Dana Point their home. The possibilities of interactions with marine life are endless, a dream for any marine life photography enthusiast! Whether you’re a professional or just getting started in your marine life photography, use some of these fabulous tips to perfect your shots!

 

1. Be familiar with your subject.

One skill that will give you an advantage in marine wildlife photography is knowing your subject. Being familiar with the behaviors and habitat of the marine animal you are photographing is key to anticipating their movement and knowing how to capture the photo you have in mind. For example, if you are hoping to photograph a dolphin breaking the surface of the water to breathe, knowing how to watch for their swim patterns underwater and anticipating when they will come up to take a breath will give you a better chance at getting “the shot”.

Bottlenose Dolphin called Patches swims next to catamaran DolphinSafari

Another aspect of understanding your subject and improving your marine wildlife photography is being mindful of their behavior depending on the time of year. There are seasons where certain species are more abundant or active depending on where you are in the world. We have year-round whales and dolphins, however, what wildlife you’ll see will depend on the time of year. For example, in Dana Point, our season for seeing blue whales is May through September; so, if you are hoping to photograph a blue whale, your odds are the highest during that time frame. What you can expect to see on the tour during the winter and spring includes humpback whales, gray whales, fin whales, several species of dolphins, sea lions, and many more.

It is always valuable to do your research beforehand, knowing what marine life in Dana Point is abundant in the current season and where the best place is to go to see them in their home environment. Also, the more time you spend watching marine life in their natural environment, the more familiar you will be with their behaviors. It also never hurts to ask the experts! At Captain Dave’s in Dana Point, the captains and crew spend every day with these animals and know their behaviors well, most of them are certified marine naturalists! So do not hesitate to ask about the animals you are observing and what to watch out for to capture your best marine life photography.

A gray whale jumping out of the Pacific Ocean near Dana Point, California

 

2. Have the right equipment.

Something that may drastically improve the quality of your marine life photography is having the right equipment. Your equipment will vary depending on the subject you are trying to capture. Generally, you will want a wide-angle zoom lens for marine wildlife photography. This type will allow you to zoom in on subjects that may be farther away from the boat, like birds or breaching whales, but still gives you the flexibility to capture the full subject if they do come closer to the boat.

Another pro tip for marine life photography is having a camera capable of continuous auto-focusing. With the combination of fast-moving wildlife, a boat underway, and the motion of the ocean, it is nearly impossible to maintain perfect focus on your subject for an extended amount of time. Something else that helps with a fast-moving subject is burst shooting. Having a camera that can capture frames continuously at a faster rate gives you the ability to capture a full time-lapse of your subject, giving you the option to choose the best frame in the sequence.

Mirrorless cameras are best for achieving the results you want in fast-paced photography; they have live subject auto-focusing and a faster burst rate, giving you the highest chance of capturing your best shot.

Photographer on whale watching catamaran Manute'a

 

3. Check the conditions before you go.

One distinguishing factor of a good marine life photographer is knowing the ideal conditions for your shot. The right conditions can look different depending on the shot you want to get. In general, if you are photographing marine wildlife, it is best to go on a day when the wind is low and the swell is small. Having little movement on the water’s surface gives you a clear shot of the animal under the surface with little to no warping of their figure. Calmer sea conditions also give you the advantage as the photographer on a boat; you can stabilize yourself more easily and dial in your shot with less movement.

It is also a good idea to check the weather forecast. Will it be sunny or overcast? Will there be fog or rain? These all are factors in how the photographs will turn out. If you are hoping to capture an animal from a distance, like a bird or a distant whale, then you may want to avoid going out in the fog.

A photographer aboard Capt. Dave's Dana Point Whale Watching catamaran Manute'a during sunset

Along with these variables, there are also underwater visibility conditions. In Dana Point, California, for example, we have periods of “red tide”, where there is a bloom of plankton in the ocean. This leaves the water a murky reddish color and leaves little to no visibility of life underwater. The visibility can also decline after a rainstorm, resulting in runoff into the ocean, or when there is a large swell that churns up the sediment on the sea floor.

Unless you have a water housing or a waterproof sleeve for your camera, it is best to avoid going out in the rain in order to protect your camera equipment. If a rainy scene is what you are going for in your marine life photography, there are lots of reliable rainsleeve options that will make your camera more weatherproof.

 

4. Be mindful of lighting.

Understanding lighting is one of the most important steps in becoming a great overall photographer. There are three settings on a camera to be familiar with in order to get the best results for your shots.

The first is shutter speed. Shutter speed is the amount of time the camera’s shutter remains open to expose light onto the camera’s sensor or film and is measured in fractions of a second or full seconds for longer exposures. Faster shutter speeds are ideal for action shots or fast-moving subjects (like marine life), while slower speeds allow more light to hit the sensor, which can create a motion blur effect. The choice of shutter speed also influences the overall exposure, with longer exposures resulting in a more exposed frame and faster speeds reducing the exposure.

A whale watching passenger films a dolphin stampede from Capt. Dave's Dana Point Whale Watching catamaran

The second setting is the aperture or F-stop. This refers to the size of the opening in the lens through which light passes before hitting the sensor. It’s measured as f-numbers, where a lower f-stop number represents a larger aperture opening. A larger aperture (f/2.8) creates a shallow depth of field, meaning the subject will be in sharp focus while the background appears blurred. A smaller aperture (f/16) creates a greater depth of field, ensuring more of the image is in focus. Aperture also affects exposure, with wider apertures letting in more light and smaller ones allowing less.

The third light setting is ISO. ISO refers to the sensitivity of your camera’s sensor or film to light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive the sensor or film is, requiring more light for proper exposure. In contrast, higher ISO settings make the sensor or film more sensitive, allowing you to shoot in lower light conditions. However, something to be wary of is that higher ISO settings can introduce more digital noise or grain into the image, which can affect image quality. A good balance of ISO ensures proper exposure while maintaining the desired level of image clarity.

Together, these three settings—shutter speed, ISO, and aperture—form the “exposure triangle,” balancing light, sharpness, and depth in a photograph. A certain balance of these settings is preferred for marine life photography. Because the subject is fast-moving, you would want a higher shutter speed to capture your subject in motion. With the shutter speed high, you would need to have to balance the aperture and ISO to allow for proper exposure. For marine life photography, it’s good to keep in mind the depth of field. If you are photographing a large subject from a relatively far distance, you may want to have a smaller aperture to allow for more depth of field. Also, if it is a sunny day with a lot of light on the water, a smaller aperture will be better for not over-exposing your shot. As for ISO, it is always worthwhile to keep it at a lower sensitivity, as the higher sensitivities tend to be more grainy. And again, on a sunny day with water reflection, a low ISO helps to counteract overexposure.

At the end of the day, all photographers have their own style and preferences for how they like to balance these light variables. So get creative! There are endless combinations of these three settings that will get you a wide range of photo styles.

 

5. Respect the wildlife.

If you are a marine wildlife enthusiast, then you probably understand the value of respecting wildlife and their natural habitat. It is a privilege to not only admire these beings in their ocean home but also to have the chance to create a work of art with their wild beauty. Aside from getting awesome marine life photography, it is most important to respect the space and the home of the marine animals we are visiting. Some ways you can respect the animals and lessen your impact on the environment are by keeping a respectful distance, not creating loud noises (marine mammals have very sensitive hearing!), not interfering with their natural movements, and packing out all of the trash that you bring with you.

Whale watching passenger gets up close with an orca (killer whale) near Dana Point, California

One of the most significant impacts of marine life photography is showing beautiful photos to the world. Many people may never get the privilege of seeing marine life in the wild with their own eyes, but capturing photographs of them is the next best thing to inspire a sense of awe and appreciation for our oceans and the beings that live there.

Now that you are on your way to becoming a professional marine life photographer, don’t be shy! Share your photos with your friends and family and let them know how magnificent it is to watch these beautiful animals thrive in their ocean home.

 

Feeling inspired and ready to put your new skills to the test? Book a Dana Point whale watching trip with Captain Dave’s to try out these tips and tricks! Be sure to check the weather and our website for daily sightings to make sure you have prime conditions for marine life photography. See you out there!

Until next time,

Jaida James