This shot was taken shortly after my previous post. The officers in dark blue are from East Hampton Village, the man in the shirt and tie is a detective (why he was needed is unknown) and the woman in the green is from the NYS DEC.
The Whale met a very sad demise - after multiple attempts at euthanasia (which resulted in one drug filled dart being LOST in the ocean), a high caliber rifle was used to shoot the whale 3 times at the "base of the skull" (how accurate that is is unknown) which is being explained as the cause of death for the animal.
NOAA reps state that it is not standard protocol to shoot a whale (fortunately), but it is an accepted method in other parts of the world, including New Zealand and Australia.
This photo demonstrates what I *WISH* had happened - everyone standing around and waiting until it perished. I believe the local media played a role in NOAA upping the anti and trying to extinguish this animal ASAP (euthanasia was attempted 3 times I believe). After the necropsy was performed (results pending) the whale was put on TWO tractor trailers (it was 30' long) and hauled off to the local transfer station, where it was picked up by a private carter to be taken to a landfill. So much for dignity in death.
The summarizing article can be seen here:
Whale Killed, NOAA defends Methods
Here are photos of the shooter, the whale being shot with darts, and the whale after it expired. May not be for everyone:
Whale Euthanasia
f/13
1/800s
ISO 500
Comments
3 commentsWhile I really like the framing on this, I'll pass on one unsolicited tip for PJ of all sorts to anyone reading this: With widely spaced subjects, try to pick a moment when at least one, or better several, of the people on hand are looking at the whale. Better yet look for someone to gesture toward the whale. That "ties together" the elements of the photo really well and helps tell the story. It's a timing thing sometimes requiring quick reflexes, but editors will pick that photo over all others.
- Luke