Fluke of female humpback whale | Megaptera novaeangliae | Vava'u, Tonga

This humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) performing a tail slap is the mother of Tahafa, calf #14 of the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. Calf #14 was one of the injured calves, with multiple wounds that may have been inflicted by a pod of marine mammals, possibly false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens). I had nine encounters with this mother and calf over a period of 33 days. During that period, a male escort was with them for at least 14 days. The female, calf, escort group traveled from Vava'u to Toku Island and back to Vava'u.

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Filename: humpback-whale-fluke-tail-slap-megaptera-novaeangliae-tonga-201108-0724.tif
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 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 Female Fluke Tail Slap
Contained in galleries: Humpback Whale Activity

This humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) performing a tail slap is the mother of Tahafa, calf #14 of the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. Calf #14 was one of the injured calves, with multiple wounds that may have been inflicted by a pod of marine mammals, possibly false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens). I had nine encounters with this mother and calf over a period of 33 days. During that period, a male escort was with them for at least 14 days. The female, calf, escort group traveled from Vava'u to Toku Island and back to Vava'u.