Humpback whale escort breaching | Megaptera novaeangliae | Tonga

Adult male humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching at Toku Island. This was an escort that remained with a mother and calf, the 14th calf I ID-ed in the 2011 season in Tonga, for at least 14 days. Note that some of the tubercles on the whale's head are red, likely due to confrontations with other male humpback whales. I witnessed several such confrontations underwater that involved significant body contact.

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Copyright: Copyright Tony Wu. All rights reserved. No reproduction in any form without prior written consent.
Image Size: 4896x3264 / 45.8MB; https://www.photoshelter.com/support/license#rm; https://www.tony-wu.com/contact-tony-wu; South Pacific Tonga Vava'u Toku Island Humpback Whale Animalia Chordata Mammalia Cetartiodactyla Eutheria Cetacea Mysticeti Balaenopteridae Marine Mammal Baleen Whale Rorqual Mysticete Megaptera novaeangliae Endangered: IUCN Red List CITES Appendix 1 Filter Feeder Male Escort Breaching Tubercles
Contained in galleries: Humpback Whale Activity

Adult male humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breaching at Toku Island. This was an escort that remained with a mother and calf, the 14th calf I ID-ed in the 2011 season in Tonga, for at least 14 days. Note that some of the tubercles on the whale's head are red, likely due to confrontations with other male humpback whales. I witnessed several such confrontations underwater that involved significant body contact.