Female Humpbacks leave Antartica ( and their only food source) and arrive in the calm, cobalt-blue waters of Vava’u, Tonga in June or July to give birth or mate. The males come to sing their love songs and attract a female. By mid-October, the calves are big and strong ( thanks to mum’s milk) and are ready for their journey home. The mums have not eaten and will not eat again until they reach the Antarctic waters, rich in krill. The calves will be weaned and will enjoy their first meal of krill. Often a male will escort the mum and her calf home, hoping she might become his mate. Swimming with these humpback whales was surreal, exciting and serene.
Humpback whales
