Watching an eagle search out and capture its prey is a memorable experience, seeing twenty or more eagles attacking a herring ball goes way up the scale from memorable. Trying to photograph the experience is a matter of choices, shoot as many eagles as possible in a group or just follow one. Whatever the choice, if you're in a boat the big concern is that you can hold that camera still enough to get come clear shots....nothing is easy, but it sure is exciting! Check out the number of fish the eagle got in the last image in this series.
Herring Ball facts: A herring ball occurs when a school of herring gets attacked by a predator (like salmon or white-sided dolphins), creating an all-you-can eat feeding frenzy for the hungry attackers. Herring balls can be seen from the surface of the water, or with a depth sounder, and they can be massive. The largest herring balls can be the size of several football fields, ranging from sixty to one hundred feet deep. Seen from the surface, the water is boiling with activity, fish are jumping and eagles and gulls are dive-bombing the water in an attempt to get in on a piece of the action. The attackers try to corral the herring, feeding on those that don’t swim to the centre of the ball — a classic case of survival of the fittest.
To see more of our Bald Eagle images click HERE