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Update: Humpback Whale Super Mommy
I am beside myself with excitement!Claudia Jocher, whom I've never met, just sent me a couple of photos, including this one that she took in 1999 (waaaaay back in the days of film...
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Whale Poop-ed
Whale poop is in the news. It's about time!This is me fondling fresh humpback whale poop (License image)Joe Roman, a conservation biologist at the University of Vermont, and colleagues recently...
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Heading Back to Tonga
Winter is coming.Down in the southern hemisphere anyway...which means two things: First, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are back in the waters of the Kingdom of Tonga, and second, it's time...
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Excellent Chinese Restaurant in Tonga
Just went out for my first meal in Nuku'alofa, after landing late last night in Tonga and sleeping in for a bit.My choice of venue was, of course, Evergreen Chinese Restaurant, which is my favourite...
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Who’s the Boss?
Wrapping up my stopover in Nuku'alofa and heading up to Vava'u in the morning. Spent some quality time with my friend Moses and his son little Moses, who seemed determined to show big Moses who the...
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Humpback Whales in Tonga 2014 | Part 1
It’s Sunday. And it’s raining. Which is perfect, because it’s been a really long week+, and I finally have a day to chill out.Humpback whale calf, a friendly female, TongaTen days ago I set out from...
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Me At Work: Not
I am super ticked-off right now, so thought I'd post something silly to cheer myself up. This is from earlier today:She said: "Look like you're working." This was the best I could do.As you can see, it...
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Humpback whales in Tonga 2014 | Part 2
There is a ridiculous number of humpback whales around, especially baby ones. I have never seen so many.That’s saying a lot, as this year marks my 13th season photographing humpbacks in Tonga. Other...
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Humpback Whales in Tonga 2014 | Part 3
This has been the year for heat runs.As of the time I’m writing this, I’ve spent 13.5 boat-days at sea looking for humpback whales. In that time, I’ve seen seven heat runs, eight if I include the...
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Humpback Whales in Tonga 2014 | Part 4
The ocean is replete with drama.Romances, thrillers, comedies and tragedies transpire without our knowledge, masked by a hypnotic, aqueous barrier that transfixes, yet impedes human perception.The only...
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Humpback Whales in Tonga 2014 | Part 5
The past couple of weeks have been crazy-hectic. In the best possible way, of course.So much has happened that it’s impossible to relate everything, but in short…there are still lots of whales, more...
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Me At Work: Arta Tequila Style
This is an aerial view of Mounu Island Resort, where I happen to be right now:Aerial view of Mounu Island Resort, TongaI took the photo recently while zipping around Vava’u in this way-too-cool...
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Heading Home from Tonga
My humpback whale season for 2014 has come to an end. It'll be time to head home soon.While it's always a relief to wrap up a successful season (the best ever, actually), it's also a bummer to be...
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Humpback Whales in Tonga 2014 | Part 6
When I posted Part 3 of my updates on 24 August, I discussed the abundance of heat runs this season. Little did I realise how many there would be.Humpback whale female breaching, dorsal fin of male...
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Humpback Whales in Tonga 2014 | Part 7
The 2014 humpback whale season in Tonga was for me, in a word, incredible. The best I’ve experienced to date.Humpback whale splashing down while playing at the surfaceBetween 6 August and 25 September,...
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Humpback Whale Super Mommy Again
Seven baby whales since 1998! That's how many calves this female humpback whale has been spotted with in Tonga:This makes 7 calves between 1998 and 2014 for this female humpback whaleThis is the whale...
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Me At Play
I've just returned from a short vacation.I think it says a lot that for rest and relaxation, I chose to do exactly what I do the rest of the year...namely, go to sea and look for marine life, humpback...
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Humpback Whale Super Mommy Reloaded
It was only a couple of weeks ago that I received confirmation from Darren Rice of the female humpback whale pictured below with a 7th calf in Tonga.Darren and his son JJ captured video of this whale...
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Humpback Whale Song
Humpback whales are known for their singing. This, for example, is a large male hanging out below the surface while belting out his rendition of the seasonal melody:Humpback whale singer (License...
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First Record of Humpback Whale in Sri Lanka
This is a humpback whale. It is also, to the best of my knowledge, the first one ever documented alive in Sri Lanka.The first verified record of a humpback whale in Sri Lanka (License image)On 21...
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