Antarctica landscapes and wildlife photos

Surfacing whale to blow air

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This is probably the whale related event that struck me the most. The phase when the whale comes to surface after a dive to blow its air is spectacular either visually or noisily. Indeed, what a noise while blowing! Especially when you are kayaking in silence in a calm bay where any sound echoes. This photo shows the expelled air condensed in a plume of smoke.
The blow of a whale can speed up to 400km/h. The pressurized hot air condense when released in cold Antarctic air and turn into thin droplets. The blast goes up to 9 meters which makes it easy to spot whales.