Last winter I boarded a boat with around 50 other people. Our mission? To find humpback whales on their migration journey. Only 30 minutes into the excursion, our guide announced that a whale could be seen in the distance. I scrambled to the side just in time to catch a glimpse of a fountain of misty spray rising up above the water.

  Our group was soon rewarded with many more whale encounters as we watched the graceful giants roll through the water. During one encounter, we were close enough to smell the famous bad breath that often fills the air when a whale exhales.

 The guide informed us that these whales were probably all juveniles who were too young to mate. The young Atlantic Ocean humpbacks typically take up temporary residence in an area with plenty of food and wait for the adults to return after mating season.

  These youngsters seemed to put on a show for us with tail slaps and the well-known humpback peduncle arch! It’s hard to describe the amazement we felt watching some of the world’s largest mammals in their own habitat!