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Just missed!


Just missed!
Photo Information
Copyright: Pieter van der Horst (sAner) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-11-21
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Fuji Finepix S602Zoom, Fujinon 6x zoom
Exposure: f/4, 1/340 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: sAner's New Zealand Tour 2004
Theme(s): Just Missed Shots., Whales, Orca's, Sharks and Dolphins! [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-02-03 14:27
Viewed: 1802
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Well, this is my humble contribution to the Just missed series, although you could easily call this a TOTAL MISS! :) I didn't even capture the head of this Dolphin.

When we were Whalewatching on the ocean near to Kaikoura, New Zealand, we suddenly heard the captain say: "Here we have a pod of Dusky Dolphins! Now don't get too excited as there are only 1 or 2 ... HUNDRED!"
And they were EVERYWHERE! Dusky Dolphins are small, very playful and extremely quick. What they lack for in size, they make up for in speed and energy. It was a total horror to try and capture one leaping from the water. If I had pressed the trigger one millisecond earlier, we would have seen the head. One millisecond later and we would have seen nothing. ;) I have far worse pictures, with just a fountain of waterdroplets after a Dolphin crashed back in the ocean, but I think this is a good one for the Just missed series.

Dusky dolphins are only found in the southern hemisphere. The dusky dolphin is another accomplished acrobat. Common around Kaikoura, this relatively small dolphin (up to two metres) has become a popular tourist attraction.

General info about Lagenorhynchus obscurus (dusky dolphin) by Helen Yu, University of Michigan:

Dusky dolphins have a circumpolar distribution in Southern Hemisphere. They can be found near the coasts of South America, South Africa, Kerguelen Island, South Australia and New Zealand.

The dusky dolphin is a medium-sized dolphin, ranging from 1.8m to 2m in length.

Dusky dolphins are extremely fond of playing and leaping; they often leap in schools. Dusky dolphins are especially attracted to boats. They are fast swimmers, reaching speeds up to 20 knots.

The fresh meat of dusky dolphins can be sold in the markets of Lima for U.S. $1-1.25 per kg. Nearly 10000 individuals are killed each year (Grzimek 1975). Dusky dolphin is an interest to tourists. For instance, at Kaikoura, an intensive dolphin-watching industry is centered on taking tourists to see and to swim with these animals.

Large catches off western South America have caused serious concern. Thousands of dusky dolphins are killed annually by the small-cetacean fishery in Peru. Although in 1990 the Peruvian government banned the direct fishery for small cetaceans, the ban has not been very effective (Reeves and Leatherwood 1994).

Killer whales are the major predators of dusky dolphins. Dusky dolphins are spectacular acrobats, often turning on displays of jumping and charging line-abreast near ships (Baker 1990).
Janice, red45, netfalls, gerhardt, PDP, annagrace, Luc has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • willie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1023 W: 61 N: 648] (2083)
  • [2005-02-03 15:44]

Pieter you got the dolphin allright. Just like you said a near miss, but what you missed would have been a spectacular shot. What you got was still a good image as far as the leviathan species go. I like it. Good work

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3410 W: 144 N: 5796] (17179)
  • [2005-02-03 16:44]

I saw 100's of these playing in a bay in Wellington once, swimming around our young P-Class yacht sailors as they were trying to race. It was a wonderful experience watching them. Some of the children were a bit over-awed by them though.
Well Pieter you got a good half a dolphin there. They do move quickly. Well done!

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2801 W: 75 N: 7845] (26257)
  • [2005-02-04 6:59]

Hi Pieter!
I think your picture isn't bad at all! At least we have got here beautiful water :-) Good colours and light and parts of dolphin ;-) I like it.

It's rare to shoot dolphins and I think you've done it well.
Not too missed.
TFS.

  •      
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2167 W: 124 N: 2567] (8208)
  • [2005-02-04 13:29]

Erg mooi verhaal, en zeker met het verhaal erbij en met de toch nog goede foto is het een prachtige near miss one, very nice capture, I like the shot, goed werk Pieter

I stay 1000km from the nearest ocean. This would be a great catch for me. When can I expect to see the correct one... :)

Thanks for the contribution to the theme.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2306 W: 324 N: 4306] (16850)
  • [2005-02-14 20:56]

Pieter, the "ungrateful" animal didn't collaborate. Despite that, nice try. Vivid colors and nice effects on water surface.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11751)
  • [2005-03-10 15:47]

Just missed! Ah well at least you had the opportunity, it's still good. Nice scene with a nice composition. Good work Pieter.

Hah, Pieter, I had to laugh because just Sunday we were cruising in the Charleston harbor and the captain pointed out some bottlenose dolphins. I kept shooting away frantically and came away with crap, just his back. As consolation I will post a pretty good photo I took at SeaWorld in San Diego where the dolphin appears to be smiling. They are so cute!

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2058 W: 316 N: 4403] (14711)
  • [2005-08-07 21:50]

Hi Pieter!
Personal assessment of the photo: a perfect just miss. You may laught but it is on my wishing list. I never saw a live dolphin.
No visual impact.
An easy shot, IMHO.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete and interesting.
TFS.
Have a good week MF!

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