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  • Examining and cleaning the large vertebrae comprising the central part of the spinal column of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Here, the vertebrae comprising the rear part of the whale are being cleaned.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Student engaged in laborious and smelly task of cleaning rib bones of an 18-meter female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found in Tokyo Bay in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Pictured here are the rear vertebrae.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Vertebrae of exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) visible in the foreground, team of scientists, students and volunteers taking a break from the hard work in the backgound
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Gloves and a knife used in the cleaning of the fin whale (Balaennoptera physalus) carcass. Cleaning and preparing a whale skeleton is difficult and smelly work.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Spinal disc and fragments from the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Part of the task was to re-assemble the fragement, much like working on a complex jigsaw puzzle.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Intricate pattern formed by the vertebrae comprising the neck area of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The whale's shoulder blades and some of its ribs are visible here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Piecing together fragments of the spinal discs of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is time-consuming and tedious, but there are rewarding moments when a match is found.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Pictured here are the lower jaw bones.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the long and heavy jaw bone of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Proper preparations for lifting the upper skull of the whale from the excavation put were required to ensure integrity of the skull structure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Proper preparations for lifting the upper skull of the whale from the excavation put were required to ensure integrity of the skull structure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Part of the vertebral structure of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Large vertebrae of the middle portion of the exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The whale's vertebrae are visible here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Piecing together fragments of the spinal discs of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is time-consuming and tedious, requiring lots of concentration.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Upper half of the skull of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here, with the bulldozer in the background that was used to exhume the whale carcass.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. The lower jaw bones are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • The bone structure comprising the pectoral fins of a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) reflect the animal's link to terrestrial mammals.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lower jaw bones of an exhumed 18-meter long fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) carcass.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Scientists, students and volunteers engaged in cleaning the bones of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor. Vertebrae of the middle part of the whale are pictured here.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Examining and cleaning the large vertebrae comprising the forward portion of the spinal column of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Lifting the heavy skull of an exhumed fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) without damaging it is a delicate procedure.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Upper half of the skull of an 18-meter long female fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) that was found floating in Tokyo harbor in early 2012 and buried for about 16 months to facilitate decomposition. Even with the passage of so much time, there was still significant soft tissue and a power odor.
    fin-whale-balaenoptera-physalus-japa...jpg
  • Part of a large group of orcas (Orcinus orca) traveling together while foraging on large schools of herring (Clupea harengus) in the cold waters of northern Norway. With an abundant food supply, most orca social units had at least one calf, as pictured here.
    orcinus-orca-norway-mother-with-calf...tif
  • Aggregation of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engaged in social activity. These whales were part of much larger gathering comprising hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals. The large aggregation persisted for two days.
    sperm-whale-aggregation-201402-1342.tif
  • Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) creating a rainbow while breathing. Photographed with the permission of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
    southern-right-whale-rainbow-south-a...tif
  • Humpback whale female at rest with male calf (Megaptera novaeangliae)
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-tong...tif
  • This adult humpback whale female was in deep, dark water with horrible visibility on an overcast day. She would have been nearly impossible to locate, had it not been for the steady stream of air bubbles she emitted from her blowholes, almost as if she were leaking air. This female was accompanied by calf 201238 (male), which was quite shy and stayed close to his mother. The stream of bubbles allowed me to keep track of her for an extended period, but for some reason, the trail of bubbles stopped at one point, begging the question of whether there was an actual leak, or whether she was consciously emitting the stream of bubbles.
    humpback-whale-leaking-air-from-blow...tif
  • Clear view of the dorsal fin of injured humpback whale calf Tahafa (201114), showing the wound that probably resulted from a bite. I took this photograph during my seventh encounter out of nine total encounters with this calf. This encounter was at Toku Island. The calf and his mother were the center of attention of multiple males competing for the female. There was a primary escort, with at least five other males approaching aggressively. On one occasion, I watched the primary escort another male in the belly, hitting him full force, nose-first. The impact was audible. There was also singing during the heated action, perhaps from the primary escort. My best guess is that a false killer whale attack is the cause of the injuries to the calf.
    injured-humpback-whale-calf-dorsal-f...tif
  • This is a female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) extending her pectoral flukes into the air to slap the water for attention. She was resting with a male humpback, seemingly paired up. She breached abruptly and repeatedly, as well as slapping the water with her pectoral fins and fluke. This attracted five other males to her, resulting in an energetic heat run, forcing the male that was originally with her to compete with other males.
    humpback-whale-female-pectoral-fins-...tif
  • Family of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) engaged in social activity. Sperm whales are very tactile, as can be seen here with the whales rubbing against one another. This group had three juvenile whales among them.
    social-group-family-sperm-whales-ind...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) executing a dramatic tail slash, sending sea water and spray in all directions. Photographed in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-tail-slash-vavau-tong...tif
  • Mother and calf pair swimming down to meet one another. This pair was accompanied by an escort. Note the clearly visible mammary gland development on the ventral surface of the calf, a clear indication that the calf is female.
    humpback-whale-mother-and-female-cal...tif
  • An adult gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) surfacing to take a breath, with tourists in a whale watch boat in the background. Note the extensive barnacle (Cryptolepas rhachianecti) cover on the whale. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico.
    whale-watch-tourists-gray-whale-baja...tif
  • Frontal view of an adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching. This female had a calf, and the pair both engaged in breaching for prolonged periods. Sailing yacht visible in the background. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    breaching-humpback-whale-front-view-...tif
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed ashore on 3 January 2012 in Odawara, Japan. Measured 6.87 meters long and was male. Cause of death unknown. This humpback whale calf is the third smallest one recorded to date that has stranded or washed ashore in Japan. It is the third deceased calf to have been found in the 2011-2012 breeding and calving season.
    dead-humpback-whale-calf-beached-in-...jpg
  • One of several humpback whales in a rampaging heat run. There was a lot of body contact in this heat run, resulting in minor scrapes and injuries to several of the whales. It was not clear whether the dorsal fin of this whale was severed during the heat run or at a separate time.
    humpback-whale-with-injured-dorsal-f...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) playing at the surface by slapping its tail on the water. This calf was the 44th calf I ID-ed in the 2011 season. She had multiple wounds over her body, including this prominent wound on her fluke. I don't know the cause of the wounds, but I believe that the possibility of an attack by false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) is high.
    injured-humpback-whale-megaptera-nov...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae) tail slap throwing off a lot of seawater spray
    humpback-whale-tail-slap-201008-0031.tif
  • This is a male humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis), one of four males engaged in a heat run centered upon and female with calf. This male was unusually aggressive, shown here making a U-turn to swim directly toward me.
    humpback-whale-male-201008-5926.tif
  • This is an adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) raising her fluke just prior to diving down to forage for food.
    sperm-whale-fluke-sri-lanka-201703-2...tif
  • Water streaming off of a diving humpback whale’s fluke, with 42ft Nordic Tug Legend visible in the background
    humpback-whale-fluke-alaska-201807-0...tif
  • Two adjacent flukes of a pair of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) diving in synchrony. Both flukes, but particularly the one in the rear, are covered with Coronula diadema barnacles, which are found exclusively on humpback whales.
    humpback-whale-flukes-coronula-diade...tif
  • Mature male killer whale (Orcinus orca), with his tall dorsal fin in full display, swimming in the cold waters of Norway
    mature-male-orca-norway-201601-0566.tif
  • Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in bubble net feeding, two with their mouths wide open. The low light of a summer evening in Alaska provides dramatic backlighting for this scene.
    humpback-whales-bubble-net-feeding-a...tif
  • Whale watching up close, with gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) female and calf pair swimming under boat in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
    gray-whale-watching-magdalena-bay-ba...tif
  • A southern right whale calf (Eubalaena australis), resting its head on top of its mother while looking at me. The callosities that are characteristic of this species are beginning to show on the calf’s head. Note also that the calf already carries a full complement of whale lice, what appear to be mostly or entirely Cyamus ovalis. Photographed with the permission of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
    southern-right-whale-calf-with-mothe...tif
  • Adult male humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) at rest in deep water, at about 35 meters.
    humpback-whale-male-deep-water-tonga...tif
  • Adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) cruising at the ocean surface on a sunny day
    sperm-whale-adult-female-physeter-ma...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf (201405) playing in front of her mother, with fluke of an accompanying escort whale visible at the lower right. The adult female is also the mother of Tahafa, an injured male calf (201411) I documented during the 2011 calving season in Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-female-playing-t...tif
  • Researchers examining humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed ashore on 3 January 2012 in Odawara, Japan. Measured 6.87 meters long and was male. Cause of death unknown. This humpback whale calf is the third smallest one recorded to date that has stranded or washed ashore in Japan. It is the third deceased calf to have been found in the 2011-2012 breeding and calving season.
    dead-humpback-whale-calf-beached-in-...jpg
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed ashore on 3 January 2012 in Odawara, Japan. Measured 6.87 meters long and was male. Cause of death unknown. This humpback whale calf is the third smallest one recorded to date that has stranded or washed ashore in Japan. It is the third deceased calf to have been found in the 2011-2012 breeding and calving season.
    dead-humpback-whale-calf-beached-in-...jpg
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed ashore on 3 January 2012 in Odawara, Japan. Measured 6.87 meters long and was male. Cause of death unknown. This humpback whale calf is the third smallest one recorded to date that has stranded or washed ashore in Japan. It is the third deceased calf to have been found in the 2011-2012 breeding and calving season.
    dead-humpback-whale-calf-beached-in-...jpg
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that washed ashore on 3 January 2012 in Odawara, Japan. Measured 6.87 meters long and was male. Cause of death unknown. This humpback whale calf is the third smallest one recorded to date that has stranded or washed ashore in Japan. It is the third deceased calf to have been found in the 2011-2012 breeding and calving season.
    baleen-of-dead-humpback-whale-calf-b...jpg
  • A male humpback whale with a split dorsal fin. This was one of eight whales engaged in an intense heat run at Toku Island. It was one of the most action-packed heat runs I've come across, with lots of grunting, snorting, lunging and other physical contact among the whales.
    humpback-whale-split-dorsal-fin-Mega...tif
  • A pair of blue whales swimming in blue water of the Indian Ocean. This may be the pygmy sub-species of blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda. They were engaged in social activity at the surface, and were relaxed when they swam past. I estimate that the whales were between 20 and 25 meters long.
    201104_Mirissa_Underwater_0377.tif
  • Humpback whale fluke in evening light, set against a backdrop of ominous skies and stormy seas
    humpback-whale-fluke-stormy-weather-...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae) breaching against a backdrop of blue water
    humpback-whale-breach-200508-0909.tif
  • Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) commencing a dive. Note the muscularity powering the whale’s fluke, and the visibility of the rib structure. Classification of Bryde’s whales is difficult and uncertain due to insufficient study and information.
    balaenoptera-edeni-brydes-whale-2013...tif
  • This is a male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) launching partially out of the water with his mouth open while playing together with his mother. The little whale’s baleen is clearly visible.
    humpback-whale-calf-mouth-open-20180...tif
  • This is a female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) swimming together with her mother at depth, ventral surfaces of both whales clearly visible. The proximity of the calf to mother and similarity of body language underscores the bond between the two. This mother and calf were accompanied by at least three escort whales in a dynamic situation.
    humpback-whale-mother-calf-tonga-201...tif
  • This humpback whale was part of a bubble-net feeding group in Icy Strait, Alaska. This breach was one of a series of breaches and pectoral slaps that occurred in tandem with the end of social foraging, with the whales going separate ways.
    humpback-whale-breaching-alaska-2018...tif
  • This sequence of 17 images shows a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) executing a forward breach. As the whale emerges from the ocean, water streams off the animal’s body, as well as from the sides of the whale’s mouth. The whale exhales with great force as it surfaces, creating a cloud of water vapor, then inhales through open nostrils before plunging back into the water. The entire sequence spans just over one second of time. Image 3 of 17.
    humpback-whale-forward-breaching-seq...tif
  • This is a small social unit, or perhaps part of a social unit, of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). There were three young whales in the group. Pictured here is one of the young whales, around seven to eight meters in length, taking an interest in me, with the other members of the social unit visible in the background.
    sperm-whale-social-unit-inquisitive-...tif
  • Juvenile spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) surfacing next to its mother
    spinner-dolphin-juvenile-with-mother...tif
  • A spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) leaping exceptionally high into the air multiple times, demonstrating incredible power and athleticism
    spinner-dolphin-leaping-high-into-ai...tif
  • Underwater view of a footprint left on the ocean surface by the fluke of a swimming adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
    sperm-whale-footprint-underwater-vie...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale in the foreground, with escort and her male calf behind her. The calf’s mouth is open. This behavior can happen at any time, but often is associated with play after nursing has taken place. In this case, the calf had just finished nursing.
    humpback-whale-mother-calf-escort-ca...tif
  • Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) playing at the ocean surface in murky green water. Photographed with the permission of the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa.
    southern-right-whale-eubalaena-austr...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) male calf asleep on top of his resting mother’s head
    humpback-whale-mother-and-calf-tonga...tif
  • Large cluster of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that were part of an enormous superpod gathering comprising hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals. As is typical of sperm whale social activity, there was a lot of tactile contact accompanied by biosonar clicking, with sloughing of skin, defecation, passing of gas. The water was milky white and oily from the activity.
    sperm-whale-superpod-physeter-macroc...tif
  • Pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) diving into the blue, with pelagic fish (likely yellowfin tuna or similar open ocean predatory species) visible in the background
    pygmy-blue-whale-balaenoptera-muscul...tif
  • Bryde’s whale defecating (Balaenoptera edeni) after coming up from feeding
    brydes-whale-defecating-201502-2100.tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) emerging from beneath the protective cover of his mother’s pectoral fin, just before surfacing to breathe.
    humpback-whale-calf-emerging-from-be...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) nursing from her mother, with escort partially visible in the background. The calf, her mother, and the escort were all quite white. I nicknamed the calf Snow White.
    humpback-whale-female-calf-nursing-t...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that was with his mother and escort, opening his mouth while playing.
    humpback-whale-calf-mouth-open-tonga...tif
  • Tiny female sperm whale calf (Physeter macrocephalus), which was allowed to play by itself. This calf's family was in the immediate vicinity socializing and foraging for food, but the calf was allowed to wander off and explore. It was inquisitive and approached several times. In this photo, the calf has placed its fluke gently on my head. We swam together like this, calf resting her fluke on my head. Of note, the calf was approximately two meters long, which is considerably smaller than the usually assumed birth size of four meters or more for sperm whale calves.
    fluke-underside-baby-sperm-whale-fem...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf (201404) spyhopping near her mother. The adult whale had the habit of resting with her fluke at the surface, as pictured here. Boat in the background.
    humpback-whale-calf-spyhop-next-to-m...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother and calf accompanied by an escort with a white pectoral fin. Photographed in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-female-calf-escort-wh...tif
  • Intimate contact between two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in courtship. The whale with the white pectoral fin is the male, the female on top. Such physical contact characterized this extended encounter with these two whales. One or both of the whales also made low, gurgling sounds that came across as lovey-dovey sounds, for lack of a better term.
    intimate-contact-humpback-whales-cou...tif
  • Humpback whale’s pectoral fin bathed in the warm glow of late afternoon sunlight
    humpback-whale-pectoral-fin-late-aft...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) playing at the ocean surface in front of his mother. Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-playing-with-mot...tif
  • A dense group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that were part of a massive social gathering of hundreds of individuals. As shown here, sperm whales seem to defecate frequently when they are at the surface, especially during intense social activity. The whales' defecation and other bodily excretions imparted an oily consistency to the seawater, as can be seen here, backlit by the low light of the late-afternoon sun. Besides socializing in this manner, the large gathering of sperm whales were also foraging for food in between bouts of surface activity.
    sperm-whales-defecating-socializing-...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with significant scarring on its dorsal surface. Note the fresh scar along the dorsal ridge near the right edge of the image. Like a prism, the whale's breath has split the sunlight into a rainbow.
    humpback-whale-dorsal-scarring-rainb...tif
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Tony Wu Underwater Photography

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