Feb. 20

Congratulations to Amy Lutz of Wyomissing, Penn., who captured this week’s top-rated image in the It’s A Snap travel photo contest. Her image shows whales feeding during a Cape Cod, Mass., whale watch.

Lutz said she is not a photographer, but a weekend family trip to the Cape last fall gave her a chance to practice her hobby.

When Lutz and her family sighted the first whale, they ran from one side of the boat to the other to try to catch a glimpse. Since it was difficult to anticipate where the whales would surface next, Lutz said that she missed several good shots, including one of a whale breeching. “My first few shots were just gray humps in dark water,” Lutz explained.

Suddenly, several whales appeared next to their boat, and the hobbyist snapped as many pictures as she could as the whales repeatedly swam past and under the vessel.

“It was thrilling to see such magnificent animals so close,” Lutz said.