19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Three Humpback whales swim below the surface past Moorea island.

We were with a group of photographers snorkeling with Humpback whales off the coast of Moorea, French Polynesia. On the first day we saw very few whales, but at one point I looked down and saw three of them passing beneath me, swimming one on top of the other. I thought they were too deep for a good photo but took a few shots anyway. Once processed, this one turned out to be one of my favorite photos of the entire trip.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: near Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Camera: NIKON Z 6
Copyright: © Glenn Ostle