I drift between the Hawaiian islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kaho'olawe, in my ocean kayak - while North Pacific Humpback Whales can be heard breathing and singing near and far. It is an awe-inspiring moment as the whale peacefully surfaces alongside my kayak.
Water rushes off their smooth black bodies as smoothly as water receding from a sandy beach.
This magnificent species, at the top of the food chain lives a life of which we can only dream. Weighing 40 tons, in the sea they are weightless. Creating a slower metabolic rate, which influences little stress. Guided by the sun, stars, polarity of the earth, warmer ocean currents, and echolocation - the Whale travels thousands of miles to warmer ocean temperatures to mate and give birth. Only to return several months later to the rich arctic waters to feed.