Gentle Giants In Their Kingdom

Hi Frothers, 

Beau Pilgrim here with an update from my recent trip to Vava’u in the Kingdom of Tonga. Have you ever wondered where the all those humpback whales heading north end up? The answer is Tonga, along with other pacific islands, providing the perfect shelter for birthing and mating in the warmer waters during the winter months. These majestic creatures have such a gentle presence in the water, and I was lucky enough to have some incredible interactions during my time in Vava’u. 

I had the experience of a lifetime, when a fully-grown male humpback breached just metres from me. It sure scared the living daylights out of me. I was fortunate enough to capture the whole experience on my GoPro which was mounted to the top of my water housing. Some of you may have already seen the video doing the rounds on Channel Nine and online. If you haven’t seen it, you can check it out here. I managed to capture one of the rarest phenomena’s, when the whale re-entered the water. In the ‘Breach Re-entry’ photo below, you can see the skin and barnacles, which have been dislodged from the whale on impact to the water. 

If you’ve had your eyes peeled at the horizon the past few weeks, you’ll notice the whales have already begun their migration south.  The whale season in Tonga is mid July to early October. I hope my ‘whale of a time’ brings a smile to your Monday inbox. Remember all these prints are available in the Frothers Gallery for framing. Why not spoilt your mum for Christmas.

Signing out,

 Beau

(instagram: @beaupilgrim / @frothersgallery)