Tag: whale

One could argue that there is no species in the ocean, let alone the world, more charismatic than whales, most notably the humpback whale. With their wing-like pectoral fins the mothers use to cuddle their calves and slap the surface, their affinity for breaching in impressive aerobatic displays, the beautiful songs they sing underwater which can be heard from up to twenty miles away, and of course, their gentle curiosity towards snorkelers all make the humpbacks one of the most iconic species on the planet. Even though humans nearly hunted humpbacks to extinction years ago, mother humpbacks are surprisingly tolerant of snorkelers interacting with their newborn calves. Some say the mothers are trying to socialize their offspring. I tend to think it’s just an exhausted mom looking for any excuse to get a break from her rambunctious offspring. Whatever the reason, having a whale calf the size of a minibus playfully amble towards you—looking about as confident with its long pectoral fins as a baby giraffe does with its stilt-like legs—will give you goosebumps of joy. What’s truly profound about the whole encounter, though, is that Mom is calmly watching from below, allowing this interaction to happen. Every so often, her gentle song cuts through the water, reverberating through your body like some sort of Gregorian chant. When playtime is over, mom slowly rises to the surface–dwarfing her playful puppy dog of a baby, and then escorts it back into the blue. Having had this experience, at least for me, no reef, fish, turtle, or ray encounter will ever compare with the experience of having one of the largest living sentient beings trust you with its newborn offspring. It is truly a life-changing encounter! https://youtu.be/9BbFW3aSpdo The reason I bring this up is, we just so happened to be running trips