To Hawaiians, the whale is a representation of the Hawaiian god, Kanaloa - the god of animals in the ocean. A large percentage of the North Pacific Humpback whales migrate to the main Hawaiian islands during the winter months, November through May, each year. The round-trip distance they travel during this annual migration is approximately 6,000 miles, one of the longest migration distances of any animal species. During their stay in Hawaii, they do not feed, but rely upon stored energy. Near the islands, the whales devote most of their time to mating and giving birth to their calves. This mother and her calf were in my "backyard" for over 2 hours. The bond that the mother displayed toward it's calf will live in my memory forever.In the first photo below note the size of the mother compared to it's calf.
