Playful Calf

2017 // Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga

A juvenile humpback whale calf plays with a jellyfish at the surface of the ocean in Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga.

Calves are always very intrigued by human forms in the water. Once they are old enough to swim independently and Mom allows them to play and investigate their watery world they will often come over to the camera to see what is going on. This particular calf was so interested in me and my camera that it stayed around for hours, even when we would exit the water to give the whales space he would stay around waiting for us to re enter the water. You can see a moon jellyfish on the tip of his left pectoral fin that he kept passing to me almost as a game of giving / receiving or underwater catch. It was the most incredible thing to experience underwater. Im so glad I managed to get a photograph as we played so that I can remember that wonderful moment.