Whale Eats Kayaking Dentist?
The first thing I noticed about this image with my skeptical mind; the contact of the whale's jaw with the bottom of this canoe would have lifted the small boat up out the water. Also the mans reaction would have been a startled one. I for one would have shown sheer panic, although this man continues to paddle, lol. I call Fake!
So I decided to investigate by searching www... and this is what I have found...
Once again a combination of two images most likely manipulated with Photoshop or the like. The images captured by photographer, Tim Shobe. Both photos, in fact were taken by the Alaska based photographer and can be seen on his website.
Image #1 The Feeding Whale
Image #2 The Kayaker...
In my newsfeed...
July 29, 2017
"Alaska... one in a billion photo. The photo wastaken at the entrance to Katlian Bay at the end
of the road in Sitka , Alaska . The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring. The kayaker is a local Sitka Dentist. He apparently didnt sustain any injuries from the terrifying experience. The whales mouth is fully open with the bottom half under the boat. Look at the picture again - He is in the whales MOUTH! by Mark Tennant."
Here are other captions posted over the years since the original in 2010.
As quoted..."This is an actual picture from Alaska!!!!!!!"
"He is in the whales MOUTH!"
"Incredible picture taken in Sitka"
"Hi all. I couldn’t resist sending this one along. The photo was taken at the entrance to Katlian Bay at the end of the road in Sitka. The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring (the small fish seen at the surface around the kayak). The kayaker is a local Sitka Dentist. I haven’t talked to him yet, but haven’t heard of any injuries out of the experience".
Enjoy, Steve
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"Yep, that is me in the picture. Yep that is a whale that was just around the corner from the ferry terminal. "Paddle really fast" is the only thing I could think of at the time.. Also thinking that I don't look like a herring, don't smell like a herring but with the same herring instinct of "get the hell out of the way of that big mouth!!" Still living to tell yet another story.. "
Rich K
"Sitka’s very own Dr. Richard Kraft during one of his routine oral examinations:"
So upon my research I came across this...
The Story
A letter from Mr. Shobe to hoaxslayer
"Thank you for your interest in my whale/kayaker image that has inadvertently made it’s way through cyberspace with the help of forwarded emails and sites such as yours. I have heard good things about it and I have actually received ‘hate mail’ by those that don't know any better, but in an effort to put things into a positive and truthful light, please allow me to forward you the email that I sent to someone else recently requesting the same info from me.
Here’s the scope for the record:
Being bored one night and looking through my images, I came across some photos of whales that I took and then one of my friend Richard from here in Sitka while he was in his kayak. These two images were from two completely different times and locations...(roughly 3 months apart). I came up with the idea to create a manipulated image with the help of Photoshop to use as a small piece of entertainment for a few of my friends on my email list. The whale image of mine that I used for this piece was one of many captured during a day in which I blessed to have witness several humpback whales bubblenetting and lunge feeding. I will not give the exact location, but it was in March and near Sitka."
I also read that the photographer/prankster actually was contacted to have this spectacular photograph in all its glory to be sent to National Geographic!
