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
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Breckenridge, Colorado
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Invisible no longer
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Is that a buzzing sound?
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Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves, Great Bear Rainforest, Canada
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A duckling swimming in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
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Edinburgh festivals
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International Surfing Day
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International Jazz Day
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Flower of Life symbol drawn in snow
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International Day of the Tropics
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Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
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International Literacy Day
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Glass footbridge in Zhangjiajie, China
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They’re grrrape!
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These patterns tell a story
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Night of the ‘Cold Moon’
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Windmills in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands
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Old Rock Day
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Sunbeams across Tartu County, Estonia
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World Childrens Day
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Dyavolski Most
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Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
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Fibonacci Day
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Who s wearing such cute hats?
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Observing World Braille Day in Bavaria
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A new park with a new mission
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World Population Day
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Of balloons and lost pantaloons
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Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
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Petrified Forest National Park