Zachary Shaul Adventures

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Zachary Shaul Adventures

Life is an adventure, and im full of life! Always on the quest to explore the world and its wildlife, but often other things too.

Rocket launches, aviation, beautiful landscapes, you name it and odds are i’m interested in it.

08/21/2026

You ever get the feeling you're being watched? One time in the frigid waters of Norway I kept getting that feeling. Following a bait ball I stopped to take a little rest, the fish and whales had moved on from my position yet I kept feeling like something was watching me. I'd spin around time and time again to find nothing but the feeling I wasn't alone. Then out of the inky darkness there it was, a juvenile orca just floating along with me. Body turned, eye locked on, perhaps questioning why I was with out my pod. For a few brief moments we were alone, face to face in a standoff of curiosity.
I highly doubt this orca has ever thought of me again, but I do think about it regularly.

08/18/2026

Always nice to get back down to Jupiter, even if only for the weekend. A few trips out with Tanner Mansell and some relaxation in the summer heat.
Sharks were bountiful, bulls, lemons, Caribbeans, sandbars, even got a few Goliath groupers to almost come to the surface as well.

08/14/2026

The largest toothed whale just happens to also be the largest toothed predator currently roaming the planet. S***m whales, some of the most curious and interesting animals I've ever interacted with. In the Caribbean around the island of Dominica there is a resident population of these whales year round, making it one of, if not the best place to see them.

08/10/2026

Marine Mammal Monday!

It's amazing how these massive animals can easily disappear and appear out of the blue. Southern Right Whales can get up to 56ft long and weigh 80tons, yet sometimes you slide into the water and where it just was, it isn't. It's almost ghostly at times when the come in or out of view, especially because they are silent. No splashing, no squeaking, no singing. It's like the hunt for red October, a noiseless creature sneaking through the depths. They do make noises, and their vocalizations fall between 50 Hz and 500 Hz which is completely within range of human hearing, but I can't say that I heard any vocalizations from any of the whales I saw in Argentina. Compared to the swimming in Norway this felt strange to me because comparatively the Orca are very noisy.

*Photo taken with government permit/supervision

08/07/2026

One of the most magical moments I had in Argentina With Caine Delacy & Just The Wild Expeditions
This Southern Right Whale calf and its mother doing slow circles around me was a memory that will last my lifetime.

calf

08/03/2026

Just before leaving for my trip to Argentina I realized the area I was headed would likely have some unbelievably dark skies. Unfortunately the forecast called for only one clear night, but it was all I needed to really enjoy.
Looking out across the Gulfo Nuevo I felt like I could see every star in existence reflecting bright over the water. I think the best part of star gazing here was hearing the whales breathe out in the water. Their breaths would race atop the surface and then echo off of the cliffs beside me. Definitely the coolest star gazing I have ever done.

07/31/2026

In the 1920's there were roughly only three-hundred Southern Right Whales left alive on Earth. It's estimated that, at that time, we wiped out 99% percent of the species. Even their name "Right" whale was given because they were the right whale to hunt. Their blubber and baleen were extremely valuable commodities back in those times.
Thanks to nearly a century of laws, and protections these beautiful creatures have had a major comeback, with an estimated ten to fifteen thousand now existing globally. Of that number about twenty-two-hundred of them return to the Gulfo Nuevo every year during the peak of breeding season.
Argentina imposed some of most aggressive marine mammal protections in existence. In 1935 the IWC (International Whaling Commission) banned the species from commercial whaling, Then specific bodies of waters were locked down, turning them into marine sanctuaries, thus guarding the important waters where breeding and mating takes place. Also, in 1988 the Southern Right Whale was declared a National Natural Monument, giving the whales the highest legal protection possible under Argentina's federal law. Every baby seen is hope the species will continue to survive, and proof that protections work. It's beautiful to see people coming together to protect such an important species.
*It's estimated that there are still less than 370 Northern Right Whales left in existence, as they live in different waters, belonging to different countries who have not done enough to protect the species.

**Photo taken under government permit/supervision while with The Wild Expeditions

07/30/2026

Of all the swims in all the oceans I've had, there are moments that I will never forget. Moments that I feel changed me, shaped me, led me to become something more. This is one of those moments.
On the very last day of our trip to Argentina with I had an encounter that brought tears welling up from inside me. Through out the week we'd encountered numerous calfs swimming alongside their moms. Usually the moms take their baby away from us, from the boats, from the danger, placing the calf on the far side of their body from us, and leaving the area immediately.
This mother however decided we were safe enough to allow her youngling near. After several lazy passes around us she decided the baby could swim where it pleased, deeming us non-threatening.
I can't honestly say that the whale "trusted" me, or even regarded me in anyway besides I was something to look at as she swam, but my mind swam with the possibilities of what it could mean. I was humbled by this unforgettable experience, and felt such privilege to witness the bond between mother and calf. Sharing a few minutes with them, in their world, on their terms filled me with respect for these beautiful animals. It was a reminder of what a gift our oceans, and their inhabitants are to us.

Taken with government permit/supervision

whale

07/27/2026

Like the song goes, " I'd rather be chasing.....the wind"
Whale, that's exactly what's happening here, tail-sailing. Using their massive tails to help them drift lazily across the ocean, these Southern Right Whales can conserve energy as they float along.
They also do this for thermoregulation. Even though the water is 45 degrees Fahrenheit, it is still a little warm for these blubbery mammals. Their flukes (tails) are filled with blood vessels and letting the cool air pass over them helps the whales to lower their body temperature.
I'd like to note that it's also thought that the whales do this simply because they can, as a form of play and relaxation in calmer coastal waters.

07/24/2026

If you're struggling to understand what you are looking at, let me explain. This is a Southern Right Whale vertical in the water column, directly below me. I am floating at the surface looking straight down at it. That large U is its mouth, closed tight, and those white patches are what everyone keeps asking me about. Callosities. These are raised patches or hardened, thick skin, primarily found on the Right Whales. The skin is actually dark like the rest of the whale, but the callosities are white in color due to the colonization of barnacles and tiny amphipods called whale lice. These rough patches of skin are not caused by the external environment, they are present in the fetus and throughout the prenatal stages. At birth they are not fully developed, nor are the colonized by the barnacles and lice until they are several months old.
Numbering in the thousands, whale lice are tiny crustaceans who make their home living on whales. They are believed cause no harm to the individuals as a type of symbiosis takes place. Though not thoroughly understood, it is clear that at least the lice are benefiting from living on the whales.

Taken with government permit/supervision

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Ocala, FL

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http://www.zshauladventures.com/, http://www.zshaulphoto.com/

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