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Today is World Whale Day, an event started in Maui, Hawaii, in 1980, to raise awareness and to protect these majestic sea creatures and their habitat. But this is no backyard nature conservation event! It's also a fun opportunity to participate in The Maui Whale Festival, that will feature a parade, live music, and other festivities!
Though humpback whales can reach the length up to 16 meters, weigh around 30 tonnes, and travel up to 25.000 kilometers a year, these sea mammals are still endangered due to overfishing, noise pollution, and sea vehicle collisions. In spite of their voluminous size, the latter is the most common cause of serious injuries and death of the whales. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, now the population of this marine animal has recovered to around 80.000 of them worldwide; the humpbacks still need our protection to live and thrive.
This leviathan of a list is Bored Panda's way of taking part and letting you join, in these World Whale Day festivities. Which sea animal photo do you find the most inspiring? Do you have some whale pictures of your own? Vote or submit your pics below!
More info: mauiwhalefestival.orgThis post may include affiliate links.
#1
Whale Whisperers
MiguelRodrigues 9 years ago
I don´t like the first one. No matter what anyone will say, that courtain of bubbles and that croud of divers so close to a cuf and its mam IS stressing. All other photos are just fabulous!
DawnFletcher 9 years ago
Majestic, beautiful creatures. How curious the look in the baby's eyes.
YuriLee 9 years ago
But they're facing the back... You can't see the whales' eyes XD
Load More Replies... RELATED:
#2
Gentoo And Adélie Penguins Watching Humpback Show
#3
Humback Whale And Diver Shake Hands
Laprade Fériane 5 years ago
Cette baleine pèse une tonne!! C'est incroyable! Quelle merveille!
#4
A Curious Beluga Whale
#5
An Albino Humpback Whale
Maggie Stephens Dougherty 9 years ago
Imagine seeing this whale in the water for the first time.
#6
Under Water
#7
Mother And Baby
Maggie Stephens Dougherty 9 years ago
Whoa, that baby is small in comparison to his Mama! To us,that baby would be huge.
#8
Paddle Boarding With Whales In Esperance, Western Australia
#9
Man Face To Face With Whale
YvonneM.Caldwell 9 years ago
I call BS on this one. The whale doesnt seem real. Like, look at its eyes.
BekiWeight 9 years ago
Great shot, but that eye looks to be in entirely the wrong place. Did the photographer photoshop it up for some reason? It should be in the lower 1/3 of the head, not the upper half. Looks very, very strange.
#10
Humpback Whale
Maggie Stephens Dougherty 9 years ago
I live humpback whales the most! Just the sheer size of them is so majestic!
#11
What Lies Beneath
MichelleMironenko 9 years ago
It would be funny if the whale just kept popping up out of nowhere just to mess with the boaters
#12
Seal Surfing On A Whale
TammyChapman 9 years ago
Reminds me of the crow who hitch hiked on the eagle. That would be really cool though, surfing on a whale. Awesome.
#13
Tail Of Southern Right Whale
#15
Big Baby, Tonga
Maggie Stephens Dougherty 9 years ago
She looks like she could use a few pounds! Beautiful though!
#16
Nature Photographer Gets An Amazing Shot Of A Humpback Whale
#17
Smiling Beluga Whale
#19
Sleeping Sperm Whales
TammyChapman 9 years ago
I feel kind of stupid here. I didn't think they slept, I mean they do breathe air, right???
BobbiNewell 9 years ago
You're not stupid, and it's a reasonable question. Whales can hold their breath for a long time, and as you can see, they're sleeping near the surface. So I'd guess they sleep for a little bit, come up to breathe, then sleep some more.
Load More Replies... #20
Whale Shoots A Rainbow Off Newport Beach Coast
#21
Whale
#23
Pilot Whale
#24
Humpback Whale Calf Dancing With Diver
#25
A Humpback Whale Calf Swims In The Waters Of Tonga’s Vava’u Islands
RebekahPruett 9 years ago
I was confused at first, it did appear to upside down, but the shot is taken mostly under water with just a small amount of surface showing in the top left corner.
#26
Whale Watchers Look The Wrong Way
BobbiNewell 9 years ago
Humans: "There should be whales in the area..." Whale: "Tee hee, I'm so sneaky!"
BobbiNewell 9 years ago
Thank you Tammy! They're such intelligent, playful animals, it was easy to imagine it thinking along those lines :)
Load More Replies... #27
Go Into The Light And Fluke - Winter In Colourful Norway!
Final score:
28points
#29
Humpback Whale
MichelleMironenko 9 years ago
It's amazing how deep the ocean is. Like a never ending portal to another world. Absolutely beautiful with the whale
#31
Who's Looking At Whom?
Final score:
22points
TammyChapman 9 years ago
I've always felt that being able to look into a whales eye is like seeing wisdom and our past and it's just something that defies explanation. I feel a great sense of peace, awe, respect and love every time I see a picture of a whale. Maybe I can see them in real life some day.
KoenHoekemeijer (Submission author) 9 years ago
I hope you can see them in real life someday soon. You will be hooked instantly so be prepared to move ;-)
Load More Replies...
#36
Partial Sequence Of A Brown Pelican Mistakenly Ingested, Getting Free Of A Humpback Whale's Maw
#38
A Humpback While Taking A Mouth Full Of Fresh Herring
Final score:
18points
#39
Humpback Whale Brings Rainbow
#50
Bubblenet
TammyChapman 9 years ago
I've seen this before on Channel 13, It's really cool how the whales do this.
#54
Humpback Whale
#62
Humpback Whale Pops Up Behind Me In Dominican Republic
Final score:
10points
Add New Image
What do you think ?
DariaB 9 years ago
These are all beautiful, but can't you be more specific about "today"? I'm sure this article will be viewed tomorrow as well and will be in the future at any random day, so please, specify the dates from now on.....
JakeFerguson 9 years ago
Stunning photography and even more so for these beautiful creatures. Also agree with Daria on the topic of the actual date being listed :P
DariaB 9 years ago
These are all beautiful, but can't you be more specific about "today"? I'm sure this article will be viewed tomorrow as well and will be in the future at any random day, so please, specify the dates from now on.....
JakeFerguson 9 years ago
Stunning photography and even more so for these beautiful creatures. Also agree with Daria on the topic of the actual date being listed :P
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