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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.org
#1

Whale Whisperers

Whale Whisperers

Anuar Patjane Report

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MiguelRodrigues
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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!

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#2

Gentoo And Adélie Penguins Watching Humpback Show

Gentoo And Adélie Penguins Watching Humpback Show

Zi Yao Report

#3

Humback Whale And Diver Shake Hands

Humback Whale And Diver Shake Hands

Masa Ushioda Report

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#8

Paddle Boarding With Whales In Esperance, Western Australia

Paddle Boarding With Whales In Esperance, Western Australia

Jaimen Hudson Report

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#9

Man Face To Face With Whale

Man Face To Face With Whale

CursesFoiledAgain8 Report

#10

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Christopher Michel Report

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#11

What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath

Justin Hofman Report

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MichelleMironenko
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It would be funny if the whale just kept popping up out of nowhere just to mess with the boaters

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#12

Seal Surfing On A Whale

Seal Surfing On A Whale

Robyn Malcolm Report

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TammyChapman
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of the crow who hitch hiked on the eagle. That would be really cool though, surfing on a whale. Awesome.

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#16

Nature Photographer Gets An Amazing Shot Of A Humpback Whale

Nature Photographer Gets An Amazing Shot Of A Humpback Whale

Karl-Otto Jacobsen Report

#19

Sleeping Sperm Whales

Sleeping Sperm Whales

Eric Cheng Report

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SmileyRie
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But like otters -they hold paws when they sleep. Hadn't thought about sea creatures snoozing. Wonder if they dream about falling upwards?

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#20

Whale Shoots A Rainbow Off Newport Beach Coast

Whale Shoots A Rainbow Off Newport Beach Coast

Mark G Media Report

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#22

Humpback Whale And Calf

Humpback Whale And Calf

Yann Hubert Report

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#25

A Humpback Whale Calf Swims In The Waters Of Tonga’s Vava’u Islands

A Humpback Whale Calf Swims In The Waters Of Tonga’s Vava’u Islands

Marc Henauer Report

#26

Whale Watchers Look The Wrong Way

Whale Watchers Look The Wrong Way

Simon Duggan Report

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BobbiNewell
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Humans: "There should be whales in the area..." Whale: "Tee hee, I'm so sneaky!"

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#27

Go Into The Light And Fluke - Winter In Colourful Norway!

Go Into The Light And Fluke - Winter In Colourful Norway!

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#29

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Gaby Barathieu Report

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MichelleMironenko
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's amazing how deep the ocean is. Like a never ending portal to another world. Absolutely beautiful with the whale

#30

Whale Tail

Whale Tail

Aleksandra Turkowska Report

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#31

Who's Looking At Whom?

Who's Looking At Whom?

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TammyChapman
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#32

A Beluga Whale Banana's Itself While Rubbing Its Skin On The Rocks

A Beluga Whale Banana's Itself While Rubbing Its Skin On The Rocks

David Merron Report

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#33

The Journey

The Journey

Jon Wright Report

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#34

Whale - Dancer

Whale - Dancer

Gleb Tarro Report

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#35

Sperm Whales Off The Azores

Sperm Whales Off The Azores

Wade Hughes Report

#36

Partial Sequence Of A Brown Pelican Mistakenly Ingested, Getting Free Of A Humpback Whale's Maw

Partial Sequence Of A Brown Pelican Mistakenly Ingested, Getting Free Of A Humpback Whale's Maw

Brad Schram Report

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#37

Sun Touch

Sun Touch

Igor Kruglikov Report

#39

Humpback Whale Brings Rainbow

Humpback Whale Brings Rainbow

Olivia Ambrogio Report

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SmileyRie
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The pot of gold at the end keeps swimming away. That's why we can never find it

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#41

Whale Mother And Calf Pair

Whale Mother And Calf Pair

Gaby Barathieu Report

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#42

To The Surface

To The Surface

Gaby Barathieu Report

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#43

Not A Bad Id Photo ;-)

Not A Bad Id Photo ;-)

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#44

Humpback Whale With Underwater Photographer

Humpback Whale With Underwater Photographer

Gaby Barathieu Report

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#45

A Humpback Whale Shows Its Fluke

A Humpback Whale Shows Its Fluke

Tony Beck Report

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#46

People Watching

People Watching

David Vaaknin Report

#47

Fly Like A Bird

Fly Like A Bird

Mario Nonaka Report

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#48

Humpy Ballet - Hawaiian Style

Humpy Ballet - Hawaiian Style

Petra Invernizzi Report

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#49

Mother And Baby Humpback Whales

Mother And Baby Humpback Whales

Gaby Barathieu Report

#50

Bubblenet

Bubblenet

Gary Luhm Report

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TammyChapman
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've seen this before on Channel 13, It's really cool how the whales do this.

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#51

Sperm Whale Near Mauritius Island Coast

Sperm Whale Near Mauritius Island Coast

Gaby Barathieu Report

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#52

Humpback Whale Tail

Humpback Whale Tail

Christopher Michel Report

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#53

Humpback Whale Breach

Humpback Whale Breach

underwaterphotography Report

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#54

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Vivian Krug Report

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lessymac
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I got to see these Humpbacks last spring off Avila Beach and Pismo Beach CA - awesome!

#55

Humpback Breeches Off Cape Cod.

Humpback Breeches Off Cape Cod.

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#56

Humpback Whale And The Sky

Humpback Whale And The Sky

Barathieu Gabriel Report

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#57

Curious Whale

Curious Whale

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#58

Whales Hervery Bay

Whales Hervery Bay

Michael Dawes Report

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#59

Humpback Whale Near Maui

Humpback Whale Near Maui

Mark Nicol Report

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#60

Jumpy Humpy

Jumpy Humpy

Frank Stelges Report

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#61

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Hugo Robert Report

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#62

Humpback Whale Pops Up Behind Me In Dominican Republic

Humpback Whale Pops Up Behind Me In Dominican Republic

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#63

Tail Wag

Tail Wag

Tom Kluyskens Report

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#64

Disturbed

Disturbed

Tony Beck Report

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#65

Sad?

Sad?

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#66

Sperm Whale Bull Washes Up On Norfolk Coast

Sperm Whale Bull Washes Up On Norfolk Coast

Javier Delgado Esteban Report

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