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'Photographer Paul Nicklen' discovered this devoted mother humpback basking in the warm waters off the coast of Tonga, patiently waiting for her baby to grow and building strength for the long journey back to their feeding grounds in Antarctica.

"Photographer Paul Nicklen discovered this devoted mother humpback basking in the warm waters off the coast of Tonga, patiently waiting for her baby to grow and building strength for the long journey back to their feeding grounds in Antarctica.

The whale song of a distant male filled the waters as Paul descended to capture the moment. He filmed for as long as he could, bid a silent farewell, and gently floated to the surface.

Paul says there are some breath-hold dives where the experience is so mesmerizing you can forget about the burning sensation in your lungs—this was one of them."

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