This gorgeous humpback whale calf and I have quite the story...

During the 2023 whale season, I first met her when she was barely a week old. She was quite shy, staying at a distance and not interacting with me in any way. Her mother was not worried about my presence, but her calf wouldn't leave her side except for a quick breath at the surface before going back down.

I had the chance to meet her several times after that over a three-week period. I was able to see her grow (they grow really rapidly at that stage).

Things would soon change...

She gradually became more and more comfortable around me as time went by, starting to make eye contact with me and displaying playful behavior. But still, she stayed at a safe distance, not far from her mother.

This evolved even further... After about two weeks, she became the most playful, fearless, and affectionate calf I had ever seen.

On our last three encounters, she would come straight to me, often making physical contact (My general rule is not to touch wildlife, but she swims faster than me!). She would follow me around, catch up, and gently wave her pectoral fins in my face... which feels like a slap as we're talking about a one ton wild animal.

This behavior earned her the name "Slappy"! Slappy and I played for hours during our last moments together, to the point where I would just drop my camera and play with her, focusing on living the moment to the fullest. I knew that soon enough, she would be gone, following her mother back to the Antarctic. This image was taken during one of our final moments...

I hope to see her again someday!