18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The sleeping humpback whale

A sleeping humpback whale comes back to the surface to breathe in the shallow waters of tropical lagoon of French Polynesia. Whales are conscious breathers, which means that they need to remember to go back to the surface to breathe, even when they sleep.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2019
Date Uploaded: 07.2020
Photo Location: Moorea, French Polynesia
Copyright: © Laura Jourdan