This time of year, humpback whales make their annual trip to the warm waters of the South Pacific to mate. Today"s image finds us swimming alongside a humpback mother and her young calf near the Polynesian island chain of Tonga. There are six main humpback populations in the southern Pacific, and this pair is part of the one that"s often called the "Tongan Tribe." The humpbacks of the Tongan Tribe return each year from their feeding grounds off Antarctica—a journey of more than 4,000 miles. Through November, the cows will stay in this region while their newborn calves grow strong enough to make the trek back to the cold Antarctic waters where their main food source—the small crustacean called krill—is abundant.
A whale of a hug
Today in History
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A medieval Moorish gem
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Canada s $20 view
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World Space Week
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A wetland in Västmanland, Sweden
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Just another day in paradise
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Star Wars Day
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Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park, Washington
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Castle ruins on the island of Halki, Greece
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Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
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Drop in on International Surfing Day
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You won’t see this on Mulberry Street
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50 years of World Heritage Sites
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Long-eared owl in the Czech Republic
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Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
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Museum Mile Festival
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World Book Day
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Sunbeams across Tartu County, Estonia
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All hail the king of shrubs
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Farmers Day
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The otherworldly red river
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Pups of the prairie
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Halfway Day
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International Day for Biological Diversity
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Space-age style by the sea
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St. Patrick s Day
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Humming along
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Glacial spires in the fog
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20 years later
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Ode to the sun
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Death Valley National Park, California