The Boy Who Met a Whale

From the surface as I got my fins ready, I could see the blows of mother and calf from a few hundred yards away. Armed with my camera in my water housing, I slipped into the turbulent 12’ swell, a welcome respite from the 100° Tongan heat. I moved into position patiently waiting for an approach, which takes mere seconds for an ocean giant.

I had envisioned an intimate frame of mother and calf, but instead it evolved into an intimate moment where I became part of their world. She quickly approached. Our eyes locked on one another and while transfixed, I felt a blow to my head. Unsure what happened, I managed to get my mask back in place within a few seconds and came to realize her pectoral fin had accidentally clipped the side of my face. Recomposed, I watched her quickly pivot away from her calf back toward me.  Our eyes locked again for what seemed an eternity, and within her lingering gaze and the trail of champagne bubbles she released, I could feel her compassion toward me.  It was as if she returned to say, “I’m sorry”.  With a smile, I nodded and saluted her. She then rejoined her calf and they continued interacting among us.

My rendezvous with these whales reaffirmed to me an emotional communication between humans and animals. I witnessed a true sense of compassion and caring in her response to our unforeseen encounter. My image encapsulated the emotions of one of my most profound experiences and the mystic bond it provided between myself and this gentle giant of the sea.