In this underwater video, a whale curiously look at a snorkel in the eyes before getting on with its season migration from Antarctica to the warmer waters of the tropical Indian Ocean.

I was snorkelling off a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) launched from Port Saint Johns, along the Wild Coast of South Africa, win July 13, 2023, when this whale decided to check out our boat. Most of them are in quite a hurry, resembling a mastodontic version of Alice's white rabbit. It is common for them to travel in couples or small groups.

The video was shot by myself using a GoPro 7 on 4k.

This population of humpback whales spends the antarctic summer feeding on plankton and then heads up north, where the adult specimens mate; about 11 to 12 months later, the females give birth to a single 3-to-4-meter calf.