Humpback whale mother pushes her sleeping calf to surface, Maui, Hawaii, USA

© Ralph Pace/Minden Picture

Info. Humpback whale mother and calf, Maui, Hawaii, USA

Winter is calving season, when thousands of humpback whales swim to the warm waters off Hawaii, making them a common sight from November until April. Because they're known to hang around near the ocean's surface, breaching or slapping the water with their tails, humpbacks are a favourite of whale watchers everywhere.