Essential Whale Watching Photography Tips

November 26, 2019December 5, 2019

Seeing a whale breaching and frolicking in its natural habitat is an exciting and magnificent moment. As such, it’s natural to want to photograph the event. Doing so, however, poses a few unique challenges to prepare for. To get the best shots possible, consider following these essential whale watching photography tips.

Keep your camera inside the boat

When you get caught up in an incredible whale watching experience, it can be easy to get distracted and accidentally hold your camera over the side of the boat to get a great picture. However, doing so is risky, as you could drop your camera in the water and lose your incredible pictures forever. As such, it’s best to always keep your camera inside the boat.

Bring a camera strap

Another way to prevent your camera from accidentally going overboard is to bring a camera strap. In addition to protecting your equipment, bringing a camera strap will also help you get steadier shots. You’ll be able to use the tense strap to help you hold the camera more firmly.

Stay vigilant

When it comes to photographing nature, you never know when an opportunity for a great shot will arise. Due to whale watching’s unpredictability, it’s important to be ready at all times. You should keep your camera close to your eye and ready to snap a shot at a moment’s notice.

Water-proof your camera

When taking a fragile electronic device out into open water, it’s important to make sure that it’s effectively water-proofed, just in case any splashing occurs. An easy way to protect your device from water damage is to simply place a plastic bag over your camera and poke a hole for the lens to peek through. There are also several camera cases that you can purchase for increased protection.

Increase your shutter speed

Because you’ll be photographing a moving object while standing on a moving boat, it’s important to increase your shutter speed. Doing so will help prevent you from capturing a bunch of blurry photos. As a general rule, you should adjust your shutter speed to around 1/1000 in order to take sharp, crisp photos.

For incredible whale watching photography opportunities, consider booking a tour with Cala Mia Island Resort in Panama. Between July 15 and October 1, our whale watching tours have a 95 percent success rate, due to the incredible amount of humpback whales that migrate to Panama’s warm waters during that time. For more information regarding tours and services at our Panama island resort, contact us today.

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Sometimes you just need to be pampered. Everyday life and stress can take a toll on your health, causing you to feel tired, moody, and unproductive. If that sounds like your current scenario, then we strongly suggest that you hop on a plane and get a vacation massage at Cala Mia Island Resort in Panama’s Gulf of Chiriquí. We promise that our massage resort will leave you completely reinvigorated. Our spa is probably one of the most magical places in all of the resort. In order to get to it, you must cross a hanging bridge, since it’s on its own separate island. A small house is the only thing in this island, giving it a sense of privacy. Glass windows surround it, offering guests panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Other spas might have to put a relaxing soundtrack, but we have the natural sounds of waves and birds singing in the surrounding trees. We offer complete serenity as you get your desired treatment. You know you are on vacation when the most important decision of the day is which massage you should get. Here are the vacation massages offered at Cala Mia Island Resort’s spa: Swedish massage This is the most common massage. It’s a gentle whole-body massage that provides relaxation and tension relief. Guests will be undressed with a sheet covering parts that won’t be worked on. Feel free to tell your therapist how much pressure you want and if you have a particular area you would like to receive more attention. Deep circular movements are combined with long strokes and kneading to help you relax, stimulating nerve endings and increasing blood flow. Aromatherapy massage Swedish massage can also be an aromatherapy massage using essential oil. As you are massaged, you will inhale the smell and absorb it through your skin. This reaches your limbic system, a part of your brain that influences the nervous system, promoting beneficial changes to the body and mind. These massages are good for people with depression, insomnia, anxiety, menstrual pain and other conditions. A wide variety of scents can be chosen depending on what property is desired. Chamomile and lavender are good for calming, while rosemary is energizing and ylang-ylang, rose, and sage are uplifting. If you are feeling congested, then perhaps you can choose tea tree oil, pine or eucalyptus. Deep tissue massage If you are an athlete or runner, or if you have a lot of built-up stress or chronic back pain, then a deep tissue massage might be right for you. This type of massage is similar to the Swedish massage, but it uses a lot more pressure, which can be painful. Relaxation is not the goal—only the start is soft in order to warm up the muscles. The therapist will then start going deeper, even using elbows or fists to reach the deep muscle tissue. If you have any injuries, make sure to let your therapist know. It’s common to feel a bit sore after this type of massage, so use ice or heat to help with the treatment. Therapeutic Therapeutic massages have many health benefits, including improvement of general health, disease treament, and injury rehabilitation. Your therapist will assess your current condition. Clients will explain in what areas they feel pain, how they experience it, and what caused it. Most people feel pain in their hips, shoulders, or back. This type of massage is designed to treat specific requests; it’s not like other massages that are the same for all. Hot stone massage This is a particular type of massage that uses hot stones, which are basalt river rocks. They are smooth from the current and great at retaining heat. Using a special heater, the therapist will heat the stones until they reach between 110 and 130 F. They’ll then place the hot stones on specific parts of the body, which can improve the energetic balance of the mind and body. 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Types of Vacation Massages available at Cala Mia Island Resort

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Sometimes you just need to be pampered. Everyday life and stress can take a toll on your health, causing you to feel tired, moody, and unproductive. If that sounds like your current scenario, then we strongly suggest that you hop on a plane and get a vacation massage at Cala Mia Island Resort in Panama’s…

Keep your camera inside the boat

Bring a camera strap

Stay vigilant

Water-proof your camera

Increase your shutter speed

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