We were out at sea for hours, in big waves, eyes eagerly scanning the horizon for just one glimpse. I'd never seen a whale before. And when the two giant humpbacks fully breached and spun in the air, I was speechless, as were my biologist friends.
It's hard to explain the sheer size and power of these incredible, intelligent animals. A day I truly will never forget.
Named for their characteristic hump, the whales are found throughout every ocean on Earth. They can travel across large stretches of the oceans, with some migrating 5,000 miles between the summer and winter.
The massive creatures were nearly hunted to extinction before a 1985 moratorium on commercial whaling. Since then, the species is increasing in population, according to NOAA.
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