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Having spent most of his life capturing incredible shots of underwater life, Yves Lefevre has surely taken his most impressive picture. This stunning image was taken as he was diving off the coast of Rurutu in French Polynesia where he is based.
Humpback Whales migrate to and from warm waters where they reproduce and give birth, to polar waters in summer where they feed. The conditions around Rurutu make it ideal for Humpbacks to raise their offspring and it's one of the few locations that the southern population of Humpbacks is known to give birth. Indeed, Yves Lefevre was lucky enough to spend some time with a mother Humpback and her calf. For a week after the calf was born, it was very apprehensive but after some weeks, Yves found the calf had developed an intensely playful demeanour.
As you can hear in the audio clip, it must be an awe-inspiring experience being in the water with a 79,000 lb creature and its offspring!
Further Reading:
Next report: The Mysteries of Humpback Migration
Last report: Humpbacks bubble-netting off Alaska