In 2012 the small community of Avila Beach, California (my home town!) witnessed an amazing sight of about 5-6 humpback whales lunge feeding about 50 feet from shore. This was the first time I had ever experienced the beauty of such an event. It did not happen again in Avila Beach until 2015 where or small community had the pleasure of viewing about 20-30 different humpback whales lunge feeding just mere yards from shore. This made national news and I was lucky enough to take photos of these amazing animals and from this time on, I was hooked and made this animal my main focus to this day. They are the reason I spend so much time on the ocean and why I started Avila Beach Ocean Safaris a wildlife and whale watching viewing zodiac boat company. My passion is sharing my experiences and these animals with others and we have so much fun doing this.

I spend about 200 plus hours a year searching the Central Coast for Humpback Whales. I sometimes see Minke Whales and the Gray Whale but I get the most joy from being with the Humpbacks and many times see the same whales every year. Thanks to Happy Whale I get to submit my fluke photos for ID and over the years have had many IDs and some ‘new to science’ shots that help understand the migratory patterns of these animals. These are just my favorites but I have thousands of photos and it’s difficult to pick the ‘best’ because all the shots are unique in their own way. If you see one that moves you, I have enabled my photos to be Purchased here.

Thanks for viewing and enjoy the photographs.