Mother and baby humpback whales rise from the depths beside swimmers

Tonga is one of the few places in the world that allows people to get into the water with humpback whales. To witness these majestic and beautiful animals up close is an unforgettable experience. These swimmers had traveled from all around the world to see humpbacks in the wild, in their own habitat, acting naturally. But what they did not expect to see was a large female humpback with a newborn calf.

This baby whale is less than two weeks old. His mother came here, as all pregnant humpback whales do, to give birth to their young in an ocean free of predators such as great white sharks. These waters are safe for the mothers. As well as nursing their young until they are old enough to travel to colder feeding grounds on the opposite side of the planet, the females also come here to breed.

Humpback whales are one of the most intelligent of all animal species and their communication may be the most complex in existence. To see a pair of whales from only a few metres away is life changing.