Gentle humpback whale brushes up against helpless swimmer in shallow water

Humpback whales frequent the waters of Tonga during the months of July to September. They come to the islands to breed and to give birth to their calves in a place of safety. There are no predators here and the whales can enjoy the peace and safety that this area provides. They feed throughout the rest of the year in colder waters where krill and shrimp are abundant, storing tons of fat as quickly as possible. They make the long journey to the South Pacific, living off their fat stores. They will not eat for several months when they are in the waters of the Kingdom of Tonga.

These swimmers were in the water on a shallow reef when a pod of whales came crashing through. These are called heat runs and the six huge males were pursuing one female and competing for breeding rights. Full of hormones and energy, they bump and thrash each other in an attempt to impress her and to chase the other males away. It is a time of aggression and fierce competition.

The swimmers were shocked to see the whales in water that was barely deep enough for them to pass through. Unable to move swiftly, humans are clumsy in comparison to these graceful giants. As two whales passed close by in front of the cameraman, another huge male appeared on his left, on a collision course with him. Braced for impact, he drew in his arms and legs and waited to be thrashed or smacked by the 100,000 pound animal. But amazingly, it turned sharply and slowed as it slid between the swimmer and the rough coral bottom. No doubt scraping against the coral, the whale slowed its tail movement and seemed to intentionally avoid hitting him. The powerful tail brushed gently against the swimmer twice as he waited for a devastating blow.
After moving past the man, the whale began large tail strokes once again and rejoined the pod in the race for the female ahead. Several more whales passed in front for a total of seven.

Humpbacks are one of the most intelligent animals on earth. They seem to understand how fragile humans are and they are gentle and tolerant of us when we are respectful of them. But this incident shows just how insightful and compassionate a humpback whale can be. A close up encounter with one of these magnificent creatures is incredibly memorable.