Mother & Child

2017 // Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga

A humpback whale mother and her young calf at the surface of the ocean in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga

The conundrum of all parents is trying to allow our children the freedom to explore but also to keep them safe. How do you do this in the open ocean?! It was incredible to watch this huge mother create a protected refuge for her calf by waving her huge 15ft (4.5m) pectoral fins away from her body. This clearly showed her calf (and us) the area that was safe for the calf and out of bounds for us. Needless to say, the calf would always try to push the boundaries, but came quickly back when Mom put her ‘foot’ down!