As we traveled from Tin Can Bay to Mooloolaba, we came across several humpback whale mom and calf pairs. These whales are slowly working their way south to Antarctica for the summer. On the way, the mother teaches her calf important things, such as breaching, and fin slapping. Once the calf learns to breach, apparently, the calf loves to practice, playing by flinging itself out of the water and making a huge splash when it lands. It really looks like fun, and we caught some of these calves in our photos. While the calf was breaching, the mom lay on her back with her long pectoral fins up in the air, then slapping them on the water. Amazing to watch.
We are completely convinced that mom and calf were playing together — just having a fun afternoon after class.
