Silver Bank 2009 humpback mother and young calf

The North Atlantic humpback whales give birth to their young down in the Caribbean. I was lucky enough this year to spend two weeks there and to film a young humpback calf and its mother. You can see the 'sleepers', the male and female lying motionless side by side chirruping quietly to each other. Then you see a newborn calf rise out of the protective reefs where it was born, open its mouth and then rise to the surface to breathe. As it gets older you can see it getting braver and braver as it strays further from its mother and performs in front of the camera.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• North
• Atlantic
• humpback
• whale
• cetacian
• Silver
• Bank
• birth
• calf
• ocean
• wildlife
• aquatic
• whaling

[lilomanilla]

My patience with you has paid off!!!!Is this video taping whales a seasonal thing for you?

[awstevenson]

Yes, I'm afraid you have to wait a year for me to post these videos. I'm in the Caribbean in Jan/Feb for the winter season, then come back to Bermuda to document the humpbacks as they migrate past here in Feb/Apr/May. I wish they were around here all year, but I do suspect that we have lots of whales wintering on these mid-ocean seamounts where they can opportunistically feed rather than head all the way south to the West Indies.

[awstevenson]

Thanks Tiffyme. I'm very lucky to have had these experiences and want to share them with as many people as possible just so that we do want to protect them.

[zeitkoenig]

A beautiful and inspiring video. Thanks a lot :)

[1ataranto]

the oceans belong to the Whales. Leave them in peace.

[1ataranto]

so sad Japan is slaughering these beautiful creatures. Thank god for the Sea Shephard.

[othlover1234567]

very remarkable creatures :)

truly beautiful

[coccoro]

thank you for this wonderful video :-)

[lilomanilla]

Well, I really appreciate what you are doing. I know that the research that you do helps the whales. I enjoy the videos very, very much. I wish I was there helping you.

[tiffyme]

Your videos are so amazing. These are such wonderful, intelligent, caring creatures and the more people see these images the more they will want to protect them. That is my hope. Thank you.