ENTRY DESCRIPTION
During the early morning the on this day, our dive group pulled up a huge potential whale entanglement mass of rope right of the coast and the universe rewarded us with a great encounter with this inquisitive calf.

I'm incredibly grateful to be able to share moments like this with these amazing sentient leviathans like this in the Kingdom of Tonga. After years of photographing Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangilae) topside, having the opportunity to photograph them below the surface remains, unequivocally one of the most challenging yet emotionally moving and rewarding experiences I've had.

AUTHOR
Shane Keena, MFA, is a professional artist and award-winning wildlife photographer. His childhood was spent exploring the California coast leading to scuba diving trips around the world. These marine adventures inspire his sculptures and provide the focus for his photographs. His photos have earned international acclaim, winner of 2021 Nature's Best Photography (Animal Antics category), featured on National Geographic’s “Your Shot” and “Underwater Beauty Assignment”, in the book “Amazing Photography: Real Stories to Inspire us All”, selected as the cover of an issue of Frontiers in Ecology and Environment, and won over 2 dozen awards including “Comedy Wildlife Photography: In the Air” and “I Shot it Wildlife Photo Competition”. Shane is a University Lecturer, was the staff photographer for Earthwatch expeditions, University alumni, and student trips. He has been teaching studio art for over 20 years.

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