Orca curiosity by Koen Hoekemeijer

A very curious orca is clearly interested in who or what I am.

Every year from about November through January, large schools of herring migrate into the fjords of northern Norway. This abundance of fish is followed by hundreds of orcas, humpbacks and fin whales feasting on this bountiful herring buffet.

Cetaceans are generally very intelligent and self-aware animals and orcas are no exception. On the contrary, orcas are among the smartest animals on earth and some scientists go so far as to rate these animals higher than humans in terms of intelligence.

Orcas live in families and stay together their entire lives. So if you spot one orca then you can assume that the rest of the family is nearby.

Orcas are found in all seas and oceans and they are similar to humans in many ways. Orcas live in close families, look after each other's calves, take care of each other if one of the family members is ill or has a physical defect (survival of the fittest does not apply here) and they know grief and mourning when a family member dies.

Very fascinating animals and to see them underwater in their natural environment is fantastic.

This female passed me by at less than a meter and it was simply stunning to witness this curiosity at such close quarters.

Created by Koen Hoekemeijer.

This artwork is offered by Koen Hoekemeijer

Lived in Amsterdam, but decided in 2018 to pursue his dreams. Currently lives and works in Tonga where he works for a whale snorkeling operator. Favorite are mainly wildlife photography with a great passion for whales and tigers, as well as photographing people and "life". Can wait hours for that one shot, and then wait another day for a better shot. Has a very long and extensive to-do list of places to visit ;-)! Thank you very much for your interest and who knows, maybe a work of mine will soon be hanging on your wall.

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