BBC Wildlife - UK (2021-12)

D

uring the winter months,

humpbacks are drawn to the warm

equatorial waters surrounding Tonga,

an archipelago in the South Pacific

Ocean – where this mother and calf

were photographed.

Despite being between 3-4m when

born and weighing up to a ton, baby

humpback whales are vulnerable to

attack. To stay safe, mum and calf swim very

close together and ‘whisper’ to one another

using quiet grunts and squeaks to avoid being

overheard by predatory orcas. The mother will

continue to nurse her calf for about a year.

WHISPER IT

TO

NY

W

U/

NA

TU

RE

PL

.C

OM

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 9