Humpback Whales, Kingdom of Tonga #3122

Thanks for the overwhelming response to the whale photo I posted yesterday. It was my favorite from the shoot. I would like to share just one more. After feeding all summer in Antarctica the southern hemisphere humpbacks travel to the tropical waters in and around the South Pacific to mate and birth. The mother whales are incredibly caring for their newborn calves. It never occurred to me that I would not just be swimming with adult whales but would also experience whale mother and baby bonding. Mother whales can easily stay below the surface for thirty minutes or more, but newborn whales need to breath about every five minutes. In this image a mother whale lifts her newborn on her rostrum up to the surface for a breathing lesson. The water clarity on this day was not very good so the image is a little obscured by all the stuff floating around. However, I love the moment! It is so sweet and telling. Check out the white belly. I have never seen a white-bellied humpback whale in Alaska and discovered that southern hemisphere humpbacks have predominately white bellies. Thank you for visiting. Enjoy –  Camera Olympus TG-5 ©Mark Kelley