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Jacques de Vos

@jdvos_com

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Expedition Leader. #Underwater Photographer & Cameraman. 🔱 Ikelite Ambassador 🐙 All content © J de Vos.

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An orca calf's transition from an exclusive milk diet to hunting and consuming solid food is a gradual, multi-year developmental process. During the first few months, the calf relies entirely on its mother's milk, which is exceptionally rich in fat and provides primary nutrition early on, but social learning and prey-sharing within the pod drive the shift toward solid foods.

Footage @jdvos_com

#Orca by @jdvos_com

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Newborn orcas (like this one) often have visible vertical creases called 'fetal folds'. These form as they develop folded in half inside their mother's uterus to accommodate their large size. Once born, the skin gradually stretches out, and the lines fade completely within a few weeks to months as the calf grows and accumulates subcutaneous blubber.

Footage © J de Vos

#orcas taken in Arctic Freediving - Freedive With Orca by @jdvos_com

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4 days ago

During the @oceans_around_us Sardine Run weeks in South Africa, we see sone pretty incredible things, even when just on the beach in front of our accomodation. Here two locals swim with a few hundred bottlenose dolphins while their friend kayaks along...

We often see these dolphins form super pods of 500 or more animals as they cruise up and down the Wild Coast.

Footage © J de Cos

#bottlenosedolphin #sardinerun by @jdvos_com

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9 days ago

A young orca after taking a quick breath during a carousel feeding event (a few more orcas faintly visible in the back). Captured during an @arctic_freediving week in Norway.

#orca taken in Arctic Freediving - Freedive With Orca by @jdvos_com

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16 days ago

A young orca (with herring in the mouth) moves around a baitball in Norway during an @arctic_freediving expedition.

#orca taken in Arctic Freediving - Freedive With Orca by @jdvos_com

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a month ago

Before booking a trip to swim with orcas in Norway, read this 👇 (regardless of who you book with):

Being able to swim with orcas in Norway is a HUGE privilege and something a lot of people (both guests and operators) are taking for granted. In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in unregistered operators and individuals running unethical, quick turnover and in many cases illegal trips. This drives a 'cowboy' approach to operating which is not only putting stress on the animals but also putting people at risk.

For the full picture, search for this article:
'Norway's Orca Tourism: chaos in the fjords' (Oceans Around Us)

The article is a few years old but paints a very real picture of the current situation. If this behaviour continues, authorities will have no choice but to step in with a total ban on swimming with orcas for everyone. Sadly very few people realise just how close we are to this becoming a reality...

As a visitor, if you want this incredible privilege to exist in the future, you have to make informed decisions, even if this means not doing it at all. For those who do - once you are in Norway (regardless of who you are with), do not accept unethical behaviour and if anything feels wrong, always speak up.

No matter where in the world you go, always do your research before booking wildlife or any nature based trips. by @jdvos_com

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a month ago

23-30 May 2027 - Sardine Run, South Africa.
To find out more, send me a DM with your email.

For a taste of what we see during these weeks:

Common dolphins, bottle nose dolphins, Cape fur seals, humpback whales, brydes whales, bronze whaler sharks, dusky sharks, ragged tooth sharks, oceanic manta rays, orcas (rare, but it's happened), Cape Gannetts, African penguins, several species of albatross,petrels, sardines, mackerel, saury and more.

If you are an ocean lover / underwater photographer (or even drone pilot), this is a bucket list expedition.

Operating from a stunning private lodge with direct access to the beach, we offer the most comfortable accommodation (no roughing it!), amazing meals and views.

#sardinerun by @jdvos_com

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a month ago

An octopus has a central brain (located in its head right between its eyes), plus smaller neural clusters in each of its eight arms allowing each tentacle to literally think, taste, and act on its own while the central brain watches on.

This alien intelligence allows them to play, learn by observation, and solve complex puzzles.

I never get tired of watching these incredible creatures underwater!

#octopus by @jdvos_com

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a month ago

Orcas (like us) sometimes have very casual 'play' sessions. Here three orcas are seen playing around with a jelly fish and each other during a very relaxed afternoon. Captured during an @arctic_freediving expedition in Northern Norway.

Footage © J de Vos

#orcas taken in Arctic Freediving - Freedive With Orca by @jdvos_com

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a month ago

❗ Space for this coming season (2026) ❗Orcas, humpback whales, northern lights and more. All in the stunning fjords of northern Norway with @arctic_freediving

Join us for ethical small group liveaboard expeditions.

For more information please send a DM with your email. Footage © jdvos_com taken in Arctic Freediving - Freedive With Orca by @jdvos_com

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a month ago

Instead of traditional colour vision, cuttlefish rely on a combination of alternative mechanisms to assess and replicate their environment.

W-Shaped Pupils: Their unique eye structure reshapes incoming light, taking advantage of chromatic aberration (how light splits into colours as it passes through a lens) to determine wavelengths based on focus rather than pigment.

Polarized Light Perception: They can see the polarization of light, detecting subtle contrast changes and textures that human eyes miss entirely.

Skin-Based Photoreceptors: Research shows cuttlefish skin contains opsins (the same light-sensing proteins found in eyes) allowing their body tissue to sense light intensity directly without routing through the brain.

Footage © J de Vos by @jdvos_com

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We have availability for the upcoming season! For more information on pricing / booking, please send us a DM with your email.

Video © J de Vos

#orca #baitball taken in Arctic Freediving - Freedive With Orca by @jdvos_com

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