Sally Hinton, Treacherous Journey (SINGLE SHOT 2026)

The annual humpback migration occurs every year and the whales face many challenges as the females with calves head back south. They may face predators such as sharks and orca but by far the biggest challenge is us! This photo was taken from a licensed whale watch boat in accordance with maritime law but we were constantly chased and overrun by jet skis and small boats all wanting a closer/better view. As you can see the mother and escort kept the baby safely between them as they navigated though the mayhem!

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.