Photo of the Day
December 10, 2016
Gentle Observer
A young humpback meets the lucky photographer’s gaze in the waters around Vava‘u, Tonga. Mother humpback whales and their young swim close together, even touching one another often with their flippers in apparent gestures of affection. “We had been observing this young calf … for perhaps 10 minutes when [it] decided to leave [its] mum’s side and swim over,” Your Shot photographer Michael Smith says. “I could clearly see [its] beautiful eye staring right into my soul.” This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our photo community on Instagram. Follow us on Instagram at @natgeoyourshot or visit us at natgeo.com/yourshot for the latest submissions and news about the community.
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