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We have hit a social media milestone today reaching 30,000 fans on our Facebook Page. Thanks to all those loyal followers and passionate whale enthusiasts. As a thankyou for all your support we are giving away some limited release prints of some of these amazing whales. visit our Facebook Page for your chance to own one of these Prints.

Check out our Facebook page for all the up to date news, photos, videos and tips from our Marine biologist in Tonga: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Swimming-With-Gentle-Giants

On occasion I receive requests from artists who have kindly mentioned that my images of the Humpbacks have inspired them and they would like to create or reproduce the subject in their own unique style. Someone who has done this is Renata Bruynzeel, a local Wollongong artist with a phenomenal talent for creating beautiful wildlife art.

Renata has been to Tonga on several occasions spending time in the water with the Humpbacks. She has a passion for these amazing whales which is indicative of the beautifully crafted artwork you see below.

You never know how an artist will interpret a photographic piece or what to expect, which is the part I find exciting. But as you can see, the end result is spectacular as Renata brings these amazing creatures to life and captures the emotion and passion that she has for all wildlife.

She truly captures the wonderful life-like effects and the awesome beauty and spirit of these gentle giants in their natural environment.

You can see and buy any of her original artworks and prints here: http://www.natureartists.com/renata_bruynzeel.asp

The Jacobs Creek, True Character Series is a collection of stories about inspirational people that have stayed true to dreams, through their passions. I was selected along with several other inspirational, funny, interesting characters from around the world to talk about my passion for whales.

You can watch the True Character series on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/user/TrueCharacterSeries

Joining us this year in Tonga is Tia Rose Marine Biologist and Guide. Not only an expert on whales, she has an extensive knowledge of marine mammals and has been a frequent visitor to Tonga over the last 5 years. Tia has her Master of Science in Wildlife Conservation. She lives on the beautiful island of Maui. When not out exploring the waters of the pacific she works on her blog communicating science and illuminating the issues facing our oceans today by gathering the latest scientific publications and connecting it to policy, human behavior and attitudes to the environment. To view Tia’s research on swimming with whales in Tonga visit her blog:

Check out Tia’s Blog at: http://seaillumination.blogspot.com

IFAW have launched their “”We’re for Whales” photographic exhibition at Customs House in Sydney. A number of our phots of Humpback Whales feature on the massive digital wall on the ground level and throughout the exhibition. If you are in Sydney it is worth going to have a look at the exhibition and support the fight to protect our whales.

Although we will never know with any certainty just how many Humpbacks swam the world’s oceans before whaling began in earnest in the seventeenth century, the latest genetic estimates suggest the number may have been as high as 240 million animals.
Check out the article at: afloat.com.au

Some of the most amazing moments I have had in my life have been in the water with Humpback whales and after a decade of doing this I can truly say there is nothing on this planet that comes close than being face to face with a Humpback whale underwater. So we are counting down the days until August/September and hope to have some of those life changing moments for our guests. we only have 3 spaces left for the season so if you are thinking about a trip, Tonga is the place to be.

The the whales are here! And they come in all shapes and sizes! I can’t think of a better way to spend your time than floating on the surface face to face with these majestic Humpback whales. The people who have spent time with the whales over the last 10 years with me know how much of a privilege it is and it is good to see these friends again year after year. Our team will be in Tonga this year to help create some new memories. Enjoy the season and hope to share these experiences with you all soon.

In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean lies the archipelego of the Azores. On any given day you will see resident Sperm whales and Dolphins frequenting the waters just off the coast. The volcanic Islands drop thousands of metres into the ocean and provide nutrient rich waters where a multitude of marine life thrive. This is one of the most diverse places for marine life that I have ever visited. over a peroiod of one month we encounters 14 species of whales and dolphins not to mention the Turtles, Sharks, Mobula Rays, Mola Mola’s and other pelagic fish. In 2013 we will continue with our Sperm Whale and Dolphin program but also be running a small group dive trip to see the giant Mobula rays and Blue Sharks and some of the diving around the .Azores. contact us for more information.

All images taken under a special permit granted by the Regiao Autonoma Dos Acores, Secretaria Regional Do Ambiente E Do Mar, Dreccao Regional do Ambiente.

I recently was approached by an artist, Patrick LaMontagne, who creates unique cartoon characters of various wildlife and has put together a collection of these wildlife cartoon totems. He asked permission to use a particular Humpback calf photo I took in Tonga last year and explained what he was trying to achieve. I didn’t know what to expect but as you can see the final piece is very engaging. It is always flattering when someone is inspired by your work and as you can see below the results are truly amazing. Patrick is a very talented artist and you can see more of his collection at http://www.cartoonink.com