Captain Dave Anderson knows whales well. He’s got over 20 years experience at the helm of whale watching boats. He’s recently taken to the air, thanks to a serious case of drone fever. He’s been using the tiny remote-controlled aircraft to see whales and dolphins from an amazing new perspective.
We’ve posted one of Captain Dave’s breathtaking drone videos for you below. It’s a compilation that includes a massive dolphin stampede, a group of three gray whales, and a mother humpback with her calf. “This is the most beautiful and compelling five minute video I have ever put together. I learned so much about these whales and dolphins from this drone footage that it feels like I have entered a new dimension! I have not been this excited about a new technology since we built our underwater viewing pods on our whale watching boat. Drones are going to change how we view the animal world.”
There is a learning curve when it comes to flying drones and Captain Dave has a had his share of mishaps on the way. Inevitably, he’s had one crash-land and sink irretrievably to the ocean floor. On another occasion, he cast all caution to the wind and dove into cold water to rescue a drone before it made a one-way trip to Davy Jones’ Locker. “I get so nervous every flight over the water now, after the accident, my hands start shaking. My wife says no more drones if I lose this one. But she said that before I lost the other one. Now that she’s seen what it can do, I think she’s just as hooked as I am.”
If this has made you eager to go out whale watching with a drone, keep in mind that Captain Dave has a lot of experience with whales and knows what he’s doing. There are strict laws that regulate interactions with marine mammals and you don’t want to run afoul of them.
Were you thoroughly dazzled by this astonishing and beautiful footage? Let us know in the Facebook comments and be sure to like and share!
