Killer whale research has been conducted by the same biologist in Glacier Bay for over three decades. This research vessel operates under special permits that allow her to approach whales closely in order to do several things. First, a photograph of each whale’s unique dorsal fin and gray ‘saddle patch’ (just behind the fin) allows for the identification of individuals. Second, she records the whales’ behavior and if she’s lucky, observes predation events to document what the whales are eating. Photographer: Sean Neilson