I’ve lived in Hawaii for more than 12 years and go snorkeling whenever I can. New Year’s Eve was the first time I’d seen a Humpback Whale in the water (here). Yesterday, less than a month later, my wife and I had this even more remarkable encounter.

Walking down to swim at Lapakahi Historical Park, I spotted a humpback not far offshore. When we got in the water, the whale was still there. It wasn’t very active, just milling around, as they sometimes do. Also, in the same general area, was the same woman who had been with us on New Year’s Eve. We swam out and headed in her direction.

As we got closer, the whale could be seen ahead, still not doing much, but it became apparent it wasn’t alone. The fins of another adult whale could be seen a bit farther out. But that didn’t quite explain the activity I was seeing until I realized that I was seeing a third whale, a calf swimming close to the first whale, which was clearly its mother.

I put the brakes on then as I had no wish to accidentally come between a mother and her calf. But at that point, the whale and her calf turned in our direction. The mother was huge, much larger than the previous whale, and getting bigger by the second, with her calf poised close above her. I have to say, there was a moment there when I was a tad nervous. But she simply continued her turn before heading away with an imperious swish of her tail.

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Geometric. See more responses here. Also for Clare’s Share Your Desktop. See more responses here.