Humpback whales and dolphins, Hawaii, USA

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World Whale Day. Humpback whales and dolphins

Every year, thousands of humpback whale families, like the one seen in this photo, make an annual winter visit to the waters off Maui. So it is perhaps unsurprising that it was on this Hawaiian island that the idea for World Whale Day was born. At least four populations of humpbacks live in the North Pacific. This group spends winters breeding and resting up in Hawaii's warm waters before making a summer migration to their feeding grounds in the chilly depths off the US state of Alaska. If you visit Hawaii during February, you'll have one of the best opportunities anywhere to spot these majestic marine mammals - and if you’re lucky, as we see here, maybe you'll spot a few dolphins too.