Humpback tail slap

This is not a breach but a tail slap. The whale must use its long pectoral fins to propel itself backwards out of the water, then it slaps the water surface with its massive tail flukes. This was taken a split second after the slap. It makes a big noise and a big splash, just like a breach. I took this photo at Gorda Banks, a Humpback breeding area off the tip of the Baja peninsula.

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