Show Navigation

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
{ 135 images found }

Loading ()...

  • This is the distinctive fluke of the female humpback whale that was the mother of an injured male calf, which was the 14th calf I ID-ed in the 2011 season. This photo is from the 9th encounter with this female and calf. The calf's substantial injuries have healed well at the time this photo was taken. Here the adult female is resting, with the calf frolicking below her. Both the female and the calf will be easy to recognize in the future, the mother by her distintive fluke, and the male calf by his injuries. There was an escort associated with this pair for an extended period, with the escort accompanying these two whales from Vava'u to Toku Island. This photo is from Vava'u, after the female and calf returned to the area without the escort. The female was relaxed during this encounter, allowing the baby to play, breach, and interact with people in the water.
    distinctive-fluke-female-humpback-wh...tif
  • Tahafa, humpback whale calf #14 of the 2011 season in Vava'u, swimming along with his mother. This calf sustained significant injury all over its body, possibly from an attack by false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens). One of the most egregious wounds was inflicted to the anterior part of the calf's dorsal fin, which appears to have been bitten off. The wound is partially visible here. Despite the traumatic encounter, the calf grew into a strong, healthy juvenile over the 33-day period during which I came across this mother and baby nine times in both the Vava'u area and Toku Island. There was a long-term escort that accompanied this pair for at least 14 days.
    injured-humpback-whale-calf-swimming...tif
  • Top-down view of Tahafa, an injured male humpback whale calf that was the 14th calf I photo-identified during the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. This encounter was the fifth of nine with this mother and calf, this one in the murky waters near Port Maurelle. The pair were accompanied by an escort that stayed with them for at least 14 days. Deep scars are visible all over the calf's body, with the most serious injuries being to the front of the dorsal fin, which is almost entirely severed, and the right pectoral fin, which is cut nearly half way through in the middle of the fin. Despite the injuries, the calf was healthy, active and friendly. The size and shape of the wounds suggest the possiblity of an attack by marine mammals, possibly false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens).
    injured-humpback-whale-calf-megapter...tif
  • Humpback whale calf swimming toward the surface to take a breath, while its mother (lower) and accompanying escort (upper) swim beneath. This calf is male, and is the 3rd one I ID-ed in the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. The calf has a wound on its lower abdomen that is visible in this photograph. It looks as if it may have been caused by a rope or line of some sort.
    humpback-whale-mother-calf-escort-me...tif
  • Injured humpback whale calf Tahafa (calf #14 of the 2011 season) beside his mother. The calf’s wounds on its dorsal surface are visible in this photo, which I took during my initial encounter with this pair. The wounds are relatively fresh, with raw flesh exposed. A substantial portion of the anterior part of the calf’s dorsal fin is missing. Over the course of nine encounters spanning 33 days, I watched this young whale grow from a scared, injured baby to a confident young male. His mother also progressed from being understandably cautious and agitated to relaxed and confident. My best guess is that a false killer whale attack is the cause of the injuries to the calf.
    humpback-whale-calf-injuries-dorsal-...tif
  • This photograph is from my third of nine encounters with injured humpback whale calf Tahafa (201114). Here, the calf’s wounds are clearly visible, dorsal fin nearly severed and multiple scars from attempted bites. The calf’s mother is visible below. There was an escort with the pair during this encounter. With the presence of an escort, the mother became noticeably more relaxed than in the two earlier encounters when there was no escort present. The calf was energetic and playful during this encounter. My best guess is that the wounds resulted from a coordinated attack by false killer whales.
    humpback-whale-calf-injuries-tonga-2...tif
  • This gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) and its mother approached the boat on multiple occasions, with the calf seeking out opportunities to be petted by people. The calf's mother is visible in the upper right corner of this photo, heading away from the boat and her calf. This type of interaction is relatively common in the gray whale nurseries of the Baja Peninsuala in Mexico.
    gray-whale-calf-eschrichtius-robustu...tif
  • This is Poto, a little female humpback whale calf, resting under her mother's chin. The tender, loving bond between humpback whale mothers and their babies is unmistakeable. Poto was the 19th calf I identified during the 2010 humpback whale season in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-resting-under-mo...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf playing at the ocean surface while her mother rests below. On this day, the adult always maintained this vertical position while resting. When I came across this same mother and calf pair eleven days later, the adult no longer seemed to prefer this upright pose, but instead rested in the more common horizontal position.
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-2017...tif
  • This is a young male calf I gave the name Tahafa. It is the 14th calf I ID-ed during the 2011 humpback whale season in Vava'u, Tonga. The calf suffered severe injury when it was very small, perhaps from a coordinated attack by marine mammals such as false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens). Fortunately, the calf matured into a healthy juvenile over the 33-day period I was able to observe them. During that time, I recorded nine encounters in the Vava'u area and Toku Island. Visible in the background is a long-term escort that accompanied this pair for at least 14 days.
    injured-humpback-whale-calf-with-mot...tif
  • Rear view of a humpback whale escort, with the adult female and male calf in the background. This particular trio were calm and settled, staying in one general area for at least two days. Notice the escort whale’s curved spine.
    humpback-whale-escort-with-mother-ca...tif
  • First encounter with Tahafa (calf #14 of the 2011 season) with his mother. The calf has visible wounds on its dorsal surface. The anterior portion of its dorsal fin appears to have been bitten off. The adult female is nearly all black. I had nine encounters with this calf over 33 days, watching it grow from a shy, injured baby to a confident young male. My best guess is that the wounds were inflicted by a pack of marine mammals, possibly false killer whales.
    injured-humpback-whale-calf-tahafa-w...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf nuzzling its mother, underscoring the bond and affection between the adult and baby. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    female-humpback-whale-calf-nuzzling-...tif
  • This is a playful male humpback whale calf, with this mother visible in the background. There was also an escort whale accompanying this mother and calf. The escort, not visible in this image, was singing.
    humpback-whale-male-calf-playing-ton...tif
  • A male humpback whale calf playing while his mother swims ahead.
    humpback-whale-calf-playing-mother-i...tif
  • This photograph is from my fourth encounter with humpback whale calf 201404 (female), nicknamed the Bible by the whale watch boat captains. This playful calf is mimicking her mother, visible in the background. The adult female had the habit of resting with her fluke at the surface, as pictured here, for extended periods of time while her calf played.
    humpback-whale-calf-mimicking-her-mo...tif
  • Humpback whale calf playing at the surface, while its mother swims beneath, and an accompany escort is further down. This calf is male, and is the 3rd one I ID-ed in the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. The calf has a wound on its left abdomen that is visible in this photograph. It looks as if it may have been caused by a rope or line of some sort.
    humpback-whale-calf-playing-megapter...tif
  • This is Tahaua, calf #12 of the 2011 humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) season in Vava'u, Tonga with mom. Tahaua is a female calf, and this was the third of three encounters with this mother and calf pair.
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-mega...tif
  • Some grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) calves are highly inquisitive and seem to seek out interaction with people. This calf and its mother approached the boat on multiple occasions, with the calf seeking out direct contact. The juvenile seemed to enjoy being petted by people on the boat, and to have its baleen plates stroked. Hairs are clearly visible on the whale, showing clearly that it is a mammal.
    friendly-gray-whale-calf-being-pette...tif
  • Humpback whale calf playing at the surface, while its mother (right) and accompanying escort (left) swim beneath. This calf is male, and is the 3rd one I ID-ed in the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. The calf has a wound on its lower abdomen that is visible in this photograph. It looks as if it may have been caused by a rope or line of some sort.
    playful-humpback-whale-calf-megapter...tif
  • This is milk that escaped from the mouth of a female humpback whale calf (a very white one that I nicknamed Snow White) after nursing from her mother. Calves often open their mouths and appear to gulp water after they nurse, possibly to flush excess milk. Note that the milk was thick and coagulated in the seawater. This makes sense, as the milk has a high fat content in order to support the high caloric demand of a growing calf.
    humpback-whale-milk-from-calf-201509...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 (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
  • 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
  • Male humpback whale calf playing next to the escort whale (adult male) that was accompanying him and his mother. Calves often play with their mothers. Direct interaction like this with escort whales does not seem to occur as often.
    humpback-whale-male-calf-playing-wit...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) resting under the chin of its mother. This female and her calf were inquisitive, friendly and relaxed. Note the white stripe pattern on the adult female's flank, which makes her easy to identify.
    female-humpback-whale-with-calf-vava...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
  • 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
  • Friendy female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) posing with her pectoral fins held together, with her mother resting in the background.
    friendly-female-humpback-whale-calf-...tif
  • This is a male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) engaged in play while his mother rests at the ocean surface. Young calves often rub against and roll on top of their mothers’ rostrum when the females and calves are at the surface.
    humpback-whale-calf-playing-mothers-...tif
  • Gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) resting on top of its mother in the murky green waters of the gray whale calving and nursing grounds in Baja California, Mexico.
    gray-whale-calf-with-mother-baja-cal...tif
  • Humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) playing in front of its mother. The calf is male, the first one I identified during the 2011 humpback whale season in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-Megaptera-novaea...tif
  • This is a female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) nursing. To ask for milk, the calf presses her rostrum and tongue against her mother’s mammary slits, as pictured here. Extended periods of nursing are often followed by bouts of play, after a calf has in effect been re-fueled.
    humpback-whale-calf-nursing-201808-3...tif
  • Inquisitive male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) with its mother waiting below, photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-with-mother-wait...tif
  • Gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) resting on top of its mother in the murky waters of the gray whale calving and nursing grounds in Baja California, Mexico.
    gray-whale-calf-with-mother-baja-mex...tif
  • Gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) swimming alongside a whale watch boat, with its mother underneath. The calf is lifting its rostrum above the water to interact with tourists on the boat. Note the silhouette of a person's hands on the front of the calf's lower jaw.
    gray-whale-calf-playing-with-tourist...tif
  • Energetic young male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) playing at the surface with his mother resting below
    energetic-humpback-whale-calf-with-m...tif
  • Female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with a healthy male calf, resting in shallow water. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga
    female-humpback-whale-with-calf-mega...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
  • A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf swimming beside its mother. The calf appears to have an injury or scar on its fluke, possibly resulting from an attempted bite by a predator.
    humpback-whale-calf-fluke-injury-ton...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) surfacing to breathe, with its mother waiting below. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    male-humpback-whale-calf-surfacing-t...tif
  • This is a female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) nudging her mother’s mammary gland area to ask for milk. When this image is viewed at 100% magnification, the tongue of the calf can be seen. Just visible in the lower right corner is part of a resting escort whale in the background.
    humpback-whale-calf-nursing-tonga-20...tif
  • A young spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) leaping out of the water while swimming alongside its mother. Young dolphins typically swim next to their mothers in this manner.
    spinner-dolphin-mother-calf-sri-lank...tif
  • Rear view of an adult female humpback whale with her calf swimming above her head. This female and calf were the center of attention during a competitive group heat run that took place during a torrential downpour. There were at least three adult males accompanying this female and calf. The primary escort, partially visible in the lower left corner, had white pectoral fins, as did the calf. Note the rake marks along the trailing edge of the female’s fluke, scars left by predators such as orcas or false killer whales.
    humpback-whale-female-calf-rear-view...tif
  • This is an adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with unique and easily distinguishable markings on the ventral surface of her fluke. The scars are perhaps the result of an attack or multiple attacks by orcas or false killer whales. I photographed this adult female with a calf in 2008 and in 2009, meaning that she had calves in two consecutive seasons. The calf visible in the background is female and was born in 2009. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-with-unique-scarring-...tif
  • Southern hemisphere humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female with calf, photographed in the Vava'u island group in the Kingdom of Tonga. This is the second time I've come across this adult. I first met her in 2009 with a female calf (Luna, #13 of that season), and I recognised this whale immediately upon resighting her in 2011. She has a unique dorsal fin that is more of a stub than a fin, with easily recognisable rune-like, white markings. She also has a relaxed, friendly disposition, which remained unchanged from 2009 to 2011. This adult is the fifth individual I've been able to document with repeat visits to Tonga with calves since I started keeping track in 2008. The playful calf pictured here is also female (Toluua, calf #32 of the 2011 season in Vava'u). In 2011, I photo-identified 48 calves in Vava'u, by far the highest tally so far.
    Megaptera-novaeangliae-humpback-whal...tif
  • This female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and her calf were the center of attention in the middle of a heat run involving six male humpback whales. The primary escort is visible in the background. The whales were traveling at high speed, diving down from time to time. The calf's inability to hold its breath as long as the adults meant that the whales surfaced relatively frequently.
    female-humpback-whale-with-calf-heat...tif
  • Gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) with its eyes closed, enjoying the experience of making contact with a person reaching out from a whale watch boat. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico.
    gray-whale-calf-and-tourist-interact...tif
  • Gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) swimming alongside a whale watch boat, lifting its rostrum above the ocean surface to interact with tourists in the boat. The calf's baleen is clearly visible. The calf's mom is visible underneath. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico.
    gray-whale-calf-raising-head-above-w...tif
  • Head-on view of an adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) at rest, with her male calf visible in the background and slightly deeper than she is.
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-2016...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf nursing
    humpback-whale-calf-nursing-tonga-20...tif
  • Greeting from an inquisitive gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) in Magdalena Bay, Baja Peninsula, Mexico
    gray-whale-calf-Eschrichtius-robustu...tif
  • Pictured here is a relaxed female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) stationary in the water, with her female calf heading to the surface for a breath of air. Strong, direct sunlight illuminated fine particles, creating a shimmering curtain of sunbeams in the water.
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-sunb...tif
  • This small but steady stream of bubbles made it possible to locate calf 201238 (male) and his mother, even in atrociously poor visibility like this, with the whales located in deep, dark water. In this photo, the calf is starting to rise to the surface, the faint silhouette of his mother just barely visible. The adult female seemed to leak a steady stream of air from her blowholes, almost as if she had a leak. This was true over repetitive encounters (see separate close-up photo of the female’s blowholes leaking air). More puzzling, however, was the fact that the adult stopped streaming bubbles just before our final encounter with her and the calf. Did the mother have a blowhole leak? Or was she knowingly letting air escape? The calf was a shy boy, always sticking close to his mother. The pair put on a great tail-slapping and breaching display for us.
    humpback-whale-leaking-air-from-blow...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
  • The is an adult female Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) engaged in lunge-feeding behavior with her calf. The mother is on the left side of the image. The pair swam in a large circle to herd fish (likely Sardinella sp.), slapping the ocean surface once in a while presumably to drive the fish forward. When there are are enough fish swimming inside the arc created by the whales, they execute a quick turn so that their mouths open directly into the line of motion, thereby capturing a large mouthful of fish. The crest of the wave created by the arc of the whales’ rapid turn is visible behind them. Several species of terns take advantage of the whales’ efforts. This lunge-feeding behavior began to appear in the Gulf of Thailand in 2017 and has been the dominant feeding methodology during 2018.
    eden-whale-balaenoptera-edeni-lunge-...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
  • Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) female and calf surfacing near a whale watching boat in the calm waters of Magdalena Bay in Baja California, Mexico.
    gray-whales-baja-california-mexico-2...tif
  • Adult female Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) feeding on anchovies with her calf. These whales are part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. This adult is known as Mae Gunya. Her calf is Jao Khamsamut.
    eden-whale-brydes-feeding-anchovies-...tif
  • I have photo documented this humpback whale female (Megaptera novaeangliae) with calves in Tonga in multiple seasons, including 1999, 2002, 2005 (pictured here), 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2014. Many people have contributed photos and video sightings, making this an excellent example of citizen science.
    prolific-female-humpback-whale-multi...tif
  • This is a male Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) known as Mesa, demonstrating the Drawbridge technique for feeding on anchovies. The whale raises his head above water to approximately eye level, then drops his lower jaw rapidly as if lowering a drawbridge. He then maintains a stationary, mouth-open position for an extended period of time, sometimes up to 30 seconds, during which time anchovies jump into his mouth. When he collects sufficient fish, he closes his mouth and reenters the water. Mesa is part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. Photo 7 in sequence of 7 photos illustrating beginning of Drawbridge technique.
    eden-whale-male-mesa-drawbridge-feed...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) and its mother with multiple escort male humpbacks. There was a frenzy of males around this mother and calf pair. I have seen this type of behavior on multiple occasions. I believe it may have something to do with the adult female being in estrus, receptive to potential mating opportunities for a limited duration.
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-mult...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with Hina Hina, humpback whale calf #1 of the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga. The juxtaposition of mother and calf shows the relative size between adult and baby.
    megaptera-novaeangliae-humpback-whal...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) hanging out under his resting mother. From this angle, the acorn barnacles (Coronula diadema) attached to the adult humpback whale are clearly visible, as are the marks left from where barnacles have fallen off.
    humpback-whale-calf-resting-under-mo...tif
  • Gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) looking up from the water at people on a boat, with its large mother in the foreground. Hairs are visible on the juvenile whale’s head, underscoring the fact that whales are mammals. The adult’s blowholes are clearly visible as well, once again emphasizing that these animals breathe air, just like we do.
    gray-whale-mother-calf-baja-mexico-2...tif
  • Female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) heading to the surface for a breath of air while her mother waits patiently below
    humpback-whale-mother-calf-megaptera...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf slapping its tail at the ocean surface. The calf was playing together with its mother, which is common behavior for humpback whale mother and calf pairs. This calf, which I named Orion, was the 13th calf I counted in the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-tail-slap-megapt...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf playing at the ocean surface. The calf was tail slapping together with its mother. Playing together like this is common behavior for humpback whale mother and calf pairs. This calf, which I named Orion, was the 13th calf I counted in the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-calf-fluke-megaptera-...tif
  • This is an adult female Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) named Mae Gunya and her calf Jao Khamsamut feeding on anchovies in the shallow waters of the upper Gulf of Thailand. Around them are whiskered terns (Chlidonias hybrida) flying in to grab fish brought up by the whales.
    edens-whale-mother-calf-feeding-anch...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female with her male calf, swimming over a shallow coral reef outside Hunga island in Vava’u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-shal...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
  • A male humpback whale calf playing with his mother. The adult whale alternated between breaching and slapping her fluke against the ocean surface, while the calf swam around her and breached. The calf was skinny for his size and had a prominent injury on the right side of his caudal stem area. The wound, which seemed to have healed for the most part, appeared to be the result of a large bite. The undersized calf was energetic, playful, and had a propensity to venture substantial distances from his mother.
    humpback-whale-mother-calf-playing-t...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in tail slapping with her calf. The calf is slapping its fluke in the normal manner, with ventral side down, while its mother is tail slapping with dorsal side down, hitting the dorsal surface of her fluke on the ocean surface. This type of joint activity is common with humpback whale mother and babies. The calf is Orion, the 13th calf I counted in the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whales-mother-calf-tail-sla...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in tail slapping with her calf. The calf is slapping its fluke in the normal manner, with ventral side down, while its mother is tail slapping with dorsal side down, hitting the dorsal surface of her fluke on the ocean surface. This type of joint activity is common with humpback whale mother and babies. The calf is Orion, the 13th calf I counted in the 2007 season in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-mother-calf-tail-slap...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) male calf asleep on top of his resting mother’s head
    humpback-whale-mother-and-calf-tonga...tif
  • Friendly male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) with his mother. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-mother-and-calf-tonga...tif
  • Female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) resting in shallow water while her playful male calf keeps himself occupied. Photographed in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-mother-and-calf-shall...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female breaching together with her male calf. The calf had a large wound on his left peduncle area, one that appeared to be the result of a large bite. It was healing well. The calf had a propensity to stray for substantial distances from his mother. He was also thin for his size, though highly energetic.
    humpback-whale-female-breaching-with...tif
  • Geri, 7th ID-ed humpback whale calf of the 2010 season, with mother. Vava'u, Tonga
    humpback-whale-mother-and-calf-tonga...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
  • Humpback whales exhale forcefully when they breach, inhaling again prior to re-entering the water, as demonstrated by this playful calf. This young whale was with its mother and an escort. The escort was also engaged in energetic surface displays. The calf’s mother, however, did not engage in any surface behaviour.
    humpback-whale-calf-exhaling-while-b...tif
  • This is a female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) accompanied closely by her male calf. Underneath her are two escort whales, both males competing for her attention. Note the exhalation of a cloud of bubbles by one of the escort whales. In this context, such a display is most likely intended as a display of dominance.
    humpback-whale-female-calf-escorts-m...tif
  • Male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) playing while traveling with his mother.
    humpback-whale-female-and-male-calf-...tif
  • Gray whale calf (Eschrichtius robustus) swimming alongside a whale watch boat, with its mother underneath. Photographed in Baja California, Mexico.
    gray-whale-mother-and-calf-baja-peni...tif
  • This is Toluua, the 32nd calf I identified during the 2011 season in Vava'u, Tonga. This calf was female and extremely friendly and playful. This is the second time I have photographed this female with a calf. She is easily recognizable by her unique dorsal fin, which is more of a stump than a traditional fin shape, and has white rune-like markings on both sides. The first time I came across this adult was in 2009, when she was with Luna, calf #13 of that season, also a friendly little female. In both 2009 and 2011, the adult female was extremely relaxed, demonstrating a consistent disposition across the two-year interval.
    humpback-whale-mother-and-calf-megap...tif
  • This is a male humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) with his mother. The calf had just finished nursing and was making its way to the surface to breathe. While still at depth, the calf opened and closed its mouth several times. This behavior often happens during or after nursing.
    humpback-whale-calf-male-open-mouth-...tif
  • Adult female Eden’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) feeding on anchovies with her calf. These whales are part of an isolated population of Eden’s whales, which are a neritic member of the Bryde’s whale complex, that live in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand. It is likely that there are 50 or less in the population. This adult is known as Mae Gunya. Her calf is Jao Khamsamut.
    eden-brydes-whale-mother-and-calf-fe...tif
  • Dorsal view of a female and calf Bryde’s whale pair (Balaenoptera edeni). Note that Bryde's whales in this area seem to have few cookie cutter scars, in contrast with those in most other locations.
    brydes-whale-mother-calf-dorsal-view...tif
  • Female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) swimming with her small calf. From this angle, the tremendous size difference between parent and child is clear. Photographed in Vava'u, Tonga.
    humpback-whale-mother-and-calf-megap...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
  • Friendly female humpback whale calf (Megaptera novaeangliae) that was with her mother and an escort.
    humpback-whale-calf-female-tonga-201...tif
  • A relaxed humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) escort pirouetting, with female and calf visible in the background.
    humpback-whale-escort-and-female-wit...tif
  • Humpback whale female (Megaptera novaeangliae) relaxing with her male calf. The adult has a split dorsal fin. Photographed in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga.
    humpback-whale-female-calf-tonga-201...tif
  • Humpback whale female at rest with male calf (Megaptera novaeangliae)
    humpback-whale-female-with-calf-tong...tif
  • Female Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) with her calf.
    brydes-whale-female-with-calf-balaen...tif
  • Adult female humpback whale with calf. This mother and calf pair were surrounded and being pursued by at least four escort whales. The frenzy of males associated with this female and calf was reminiscent of a similar situation I encountered with the mother of the injured calf Tahafa (201114) in 2011. There was a long-term association between that that female/ calf and an escort. At one point, many males converged upon and assailed the escort, engaging in heavy physical contact. The next day, all the males, including the long-term escort, disappeared. Having seen this pattern of behavior a few times, I believe this may indicate estrus or similar state of reproductive receptivity by the adult female.
    humpback-whale-female-and-calf-tonga...tif
  • Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) female calf engaged in tail slapping with her mother. Both the adult and calf had a lot of white on their bodies. I gave the calf the nickname Snow White. This was our second encounter with this female/ calf pair. On this occasion, there was no escort accompanying them. During our first meeting, there was an escort, which was also quite white.
    humpback-whale-female-and-calf-tail-...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
  • 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
  • Male humpback whale calf relaxing with his mother and an escort whale in the background.
    humpback-whale-calf-with-mother-and-...tif
Next
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Tony Wu Underwater Photography

  • Search Image Archive
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • View Portfolio
  • Read About Me
  • Send Me a Note
  • Portfolio