Tohorā means whale in Tahitian.

My first time in Tahiti also was my first time photographing with whales. From the leaky first dunks in the water with the AquaTech housing with the camera, to the ruined drone, short fins that were too big, leaking masks, sunburnt armpits, stolen cameras, etc... this was not a luxury or easy trip.

But it was one of growth and serenity. I have always been terrified of the ocean and currents. I used to have night terrors of sharks and monsters deep in the ocean blues. But when Kori reached out to me and offered me this chance to photograph one of the largest mammals in the world, I had to say YES.

Mothers can hold their breath for about 30 mins, but the babies need to come up every 5 mins to breath. This shot was taken after they both came up for a breath together. It was beautiful as their massive size slowly floated up before diving back down.

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