Articles

My subjects—a pair of seemingly inseparable humpback whales—frolic just off the end of my fin tips
 

Each year, migrating humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere journey to the warm, sheltered waters of Mo’orea, French Polynesia, to rest, give birth, and raise their young. The youngsters are able to grow up in the safety of the shallow tropics before they depart for the frigid feeding grounds of Antarctica. 

The encounter with these two humpbacks, swimming in near-perfect synchronicity, was the most memorable humpback whale experience of my life to date. These two whales were always seen together, and I was fortunate to witness and capture a rare moment in which they mirrored each other’s position and movement with astonishing precision.
 

Face to face with a curious humpback
 

It came so close you could see the textures on the skin and the whale lice that live on these leviathans
 

It isn’t often that wildlife gets TOO close, but this pair came so near me there was no way to fit them in the frame!
 

The ocean conditions were flawless, with calm seas and soft rays of sunlight filtering through the blue, illuminating the scene. Humpback whales typically maintain some distance from one another due to their massive size and long pectoral fins, so seeing a pair of adults swim this closely together can be quite rare.

Indeed, their closeness was the only reason this image became possible: They matched their distance and angle from me perfectly, allowing me to photograph them in the same pose. Because they came so close to me, the smallest details became visible—from the tiny hair follicles on the bumps, or tubercles, on their heads and jaws (believed to function as sensory organs) to the whale lice, known as cyamids, which are crustaceans more closely related to shrimp than to true lice.
 

The image that earned me the DPG Grand Master 2025 title: The whales struck an absolutely perfect pose in some beautiful light, and I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, and able to capture the moment (Sony A7R Mark IV, Sony FE 16–35mm f/2.8, SeaFrogs housing, f/4.5, 1/500s, ISO 320)
 

Living close to nature has taught me lessons no textbook ever could, including the understanding that every animal has a unique personality. To me, this photograph reflects not only the strong bond between these two whales, but also their playful, curious nature. This extraordinary encounter left me with a profound sense of connection to wildlife—one of those rare moments that stays with you long after you leave the water, and the success of the picture in DPG Masters 2025 was just a happy cherry on top.
 

To see more of Yuka’s wonderful underwater work, please give her a follow on Instagram.