Richard Lovelock Photography

Name: Richard Lovelock Photography
Address: Uttoxeter, GB
Telephone: +447830022460

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11/09/2026

During my three weeks in Alaska, I was incredibly fortunate to witness a whole variety of humpback whale behaviour - from spectacular breaches and powerful chin slaps to tail slapping and the extraordinary spectacle of bubble-net feeding.

🐋 Whales have a lot to say without making a sound...

Many of these dramatic surface behaviours are forms of 'non-verbal communication'. A breach, tail slap or pectoral-fin slap creates an enormous splash and sends vibrations through the water. Scientists believe these behaviours can serve several purposes - including signalling to other whales, maintaining social contact and, depending on the situation, displaying excitement, agitation or simply interacting with others.

And then there's one of my favourite whale words… the peduncle!

Or more specifically the 'caudal peduncle' is the incredibly powerful muscular section of the whale's body immediately before the tail flukes. It provides much of the force needed to drive those enormous flukes up and down through the water. It is widely considered the largest and most powerful muscular structure in the animal kingdom.

Humpbacks can also perform a peduncle throw, where they swing the rear of the body and tail sideways with tremendous force, often crashing it down onto the surface - I hope this photograph captures that power perfectly 📸

09/09/2026

When whale watching from a cruise ship, people can sometimes be a little disappointed when they “only” see a blow in the distance.

“Is that it?”
“It’s too far away!”
“Can’t the Captain just pop over there for a closer look?”

Social media probably hasn’t helped. We’re constantly shown spectacular breaches, tail slaps and whales seemingly performing right beside the camera.

But the reality of whale watching is very different.

Whales are wild animals, the ocean is vast, and much of the experience is about watching, waiting... and having a little patience.

Well, for those of us out looking as we sailed past Vancouver Island the other day, that patience paid off!

After most people had grown bored of “whale waiting” and headed back inside, this humpback suddenly surfaced incredibly close to the ship.

And I absolutely love this photograph.

It’s an angle you don’t often get from a whale, with that wonderful symmetry and those enormous white pectoral fins clearly visible beneath the surface.

Humpback pectoral fins can reach around 5 metres (16 feet) in length - roughly a third of the whale’s entire body length and proportionally the longest forelimbs of any living cetacean.

Sometimes whale watching is hours of staring at seemingly empty ocean.

Sometimes it’s a distant blow.

And sometimes... if you keep looking... you get rewarded with a view like this. 🐋📸

06/09/2026

Alaska continues to deliver… this time in Ketchikan, with black bears!

I visited Herring Cove and was fortunate enough to have some fantastic sightings, including this bear devouring a freshly caught salmon.

But take a look at those claws! 👀

Black bears have relatively short, curved and very sharp claws; typically around 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long. They’re superb for gripping bark and climbing trees, something black bears are particularly good at.

Brown bears, by comparison, have much longer, straighter claws - sometimes reaching 4 inches (10 cm) or more. Rather than being designed primarily for climbing, these impressive claws are excellent digging tools, used for excavating roots, digging dens and turning over earth in search of food.

It’s actually one of the useful clues for telling the two species apart:

Black bear = shorter, darker, more curved claws
Brown bear = longer, lighter-coloured, straighter claws

Of course, when there’s a salmon involved, both are extremely well equipped for the job!

Another wonderful Alaskan wildlife encounter. 📸

04/09/2026

I don't shoot as much video as I should. The problem as a photographer is that when i see a great scene to video all the time I'm regretting not photographing it. What I have learnt is that photographing a calving glacier really doesn't do it justice. So I hope I made the right decesion here. Facebook ruins the video quality, but in 4k it's epic and in real life, phenomenal to witness.
Alaska really has been as amazing as always.

01/09/2026

Yesterday, the Alaskan port of Icy Strait Point delivered once again! 🇺🇸🐋📸

We had a group of humpback whales bubble-net feeding right behind the ship before they swam down the port side and incredibly, right underneath the dock!

I was fortunate enough to be out on a whale-watching trip at the time, watching the whole thing unfold from the water.

We stayed with the group and were then treated to plenty of tail slapping before things got even better…

Multiple breaches! 🐋💦

I managed to capture one of my best breach photos to date, so I’m feeling very fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time.

So, why do humpback whales breach?

A breach is when a whale propels most or all of its enormous body out of the water before crashing back down. An adult humpback can weigh around 30-40 tonnes, so getting that much whale airborne takes an incredible amount of energy!

Scientists still don’t believe there is one single reason for breaching. It may serve several different purposes:

🐋 Communication: The huge splash and sound created when the whale hits the water can travel considerable distances, potentially helping whales communicate with others.

🐋 Social behaviour: Breaching is often seen when whales are interacting with one another and can form part of courtship, competition and other social behaviour.

🐋 Removing parasites: The impact with the water may help dislodge barnacles, whale lice and loose skin.

🐋 Play: Younger humpbacks in particular can breach repeatedly, and sometimes it may simply be part of playful or energetic behaviour.

🐋 Excitement or stimulation: Breaching is sometimes seen during periods of intense activity, including feeding or when several whales are gathered together.

Interestingly, humpbacks are among the most acrobatic of the great whales. Despite their enormous size, their exceptionally long pectoral fins and powerful tail give them remarkable manoeuvrability.

Whatever the exact reason yesterday, seeing multiple breaches at such close range was an unforgettable way to finish another incredible day in Alaska.

And getting the photo was the icing on the cake! 📸🐋

29/08/2026

Say hello to this adorable Horned Puffin!

The other day I headed out on a boat trip into Kenai Fjords National Park from Seward, and one of the highlights was seeing plenty of puffins out on the water. Kenai Fjords Tours

In Alaska there are several members of the auk family you can look out for, including:

Horned Puffin = recognised by its bright orange-and-yellow bill, white face and the little fleshy black “horn” above each eye.

Tufted Puffin = the slightly more flamboyant cousin, with a dark body, enormous colourful bill and long golden-yellow plumes sweeping back from its head.

Rhinoceros Auklet = another close relative of the puffins. During the breeding season it develops a distinctive horn-like projection on its bill, which gives it its rather unusual name!

And this little character in the photo is a Horned Puffin....

Look closely above each eye and you'll see a small, dark, pointed projection - the “horn” that gives the Horned Puffin its name and really differentiates it from it's cousin in a different ocean - the Atlantic puffin.

It isn't a true horn at all, but a small fleshy piece of skin that becomes particularly noticeable during the breeding season. Combined with the puffin's brilliant bill and striking white face, it forms part of its breeding plumage - essentially dressing to impress!

Scientists believe these ornaments may help puffins recognise and assess potential mates. After the breeding season, their appearance becomes much less spectacular: the brightly coloured outer plates of the bill are shed, the face darkens and the little “horns” become far less prominent.

Definitely one of my favourite characters to photograph in Alaska! 📸

26/08/2026

Half way point... we have had our first 10 days in Alaska....and they have been epic!

We have seen the usual suspects: Bald Eagle, Humpback Whale, Sea Otter, Harbour Seal, Black Bear, Brown Bear, Steller Sea Lion, Sitka Black-tailed Deer, Killer Whale (Orca, Dall’s Porpoise, Tufted Puffin, Horned Puffin & Rhinoceros Auklet.

Highlights include:
- humpback bubblenet feeding in Juneau
- black bears in Ketchikan
- brown bears in Sikta
- a breach & x10 chin slaps from a humpback in Icy Strait Point
- spotting killer whales from the shore in Icy Strait Point

We have spent a few days in Seward. Yesterday we hired a car and went off exploring looking for some native Alaska land mammals... post to follow.

Today I'm out on a Kenai Fjord boat tour so I'll update you later 🤞

22/08/2026

Yesterday we had a real treat in Juneau, Alaska 🇺🇸🐋

Laura and I headed out whale watching, and although the weather was a little drizzly, the water conditions were beautifully calm.

Having done this trip many times before, I had a fair idea of where we often find the whales. So when our first stop was at the sea lion haul-out, I’ll admit I was feeling a little apprehensive!

Luckily, we soon moved on and headed towards one of the usual humpback hotspots.

First, we spotted the whale-watching boats gathering in the distance…

Then the blows started appearing.

1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… we lost count! 🐋🐋🐋

We had come across a group of 15+ humpback whales cooperatively feeding ... we were being treated to one of Alaska’s most spectacular wildlife behaviours:

Bubble-net feeding.

This is an incredible example of teamwork. A group of humpbacks dives beneath a school of fish, usually herring or other schooling prey. Some of the whales blow streams of bubbles while swimming in a circle or spiral beneath the fish.

The rising bubbles form a kind of curtain or net, concentrating the fish into an increasingly tight group.

Other whales may help herd the fish, while the group coordinates its movements and prepares for the final stage.

An important member of the team is the lead whale, which helps coordinate the feeding event and gives the call that signals the group’s final upward charge. Yesterday, that whale was Ruffles, a well-known Juneau humpback. Ruffles gets his name from the distinctive ruffled or scalloped trailing edge of his tail flukes, which helps researchers and whale-watchers recognise him as an individual.

Then comes the spectacular bit…

The humpbacks surge upwards together through the middle of the concentrated fish, mouths wide open, engulfing huge quantities of prey in a single coordinated rush. We could see multiple enormous mouths erupting through the surface at once!

What makes this particularly special is that bubble-net feeding is not something every humpback whale does. It is a learned behaviour, passed socially between whales, and Southeast Alaska is one of the best-known places in the world to witness large groups using this sophisticated cooperative hunting technique.

10/08/2026

🦁WORLD LION DAY🦁

The King of the Big Cats 👑

A few special images to share for World Lion Day, each with its own story.

🇹🇿 Tanzania
This magnificent male had lost an eye in a battle with his own brother for control of the pride. A true-life Lion King story - a reminder that life at the top is anything but easy. Male lions can face fierce competition for territory, females and the right to lead a pride, and these battles can result in serious injury.

🇧🇼 Botswana
The other two images are from my recent trip to Botswana.

We had been watching a pride of females with their cubs, including this lovely moment of two lions nuzzling one another. Lions are the most social of all the big cats, and behaviours such as head rubbing and nuzzling help reinforce the bonds within a pride.

After a while, two young males appeared - and the pride quickly moved away.

One of the males then began investigating the area. In the photograph you can see him with his mouth slightly open and tongue out, taking in the scents left behind. Lions have an incredibly sophisticated sense of smell and use scent to gather information about other lions in their territory.

Powerful, social, complex and unmistakably majestic.

There really is nothing quite like seeing a lion in the wild.

Happy World Lion Day! 🦁🌍

03/08/2026

Big Fish 🦈
Little Fish 🐟
Cardboard box 📦

Some of you will get that.
Many of you won't.

But just to be transparent and in case I tricked you...one of these images is AI generated 😉

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