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Today is World Whale Day, an event started in Maui, Hawaii, in 1980, to raise awareness and to protect these majestic sea creatures and their habitat. But this is no backyard nature conservation event! It's also a fun opportunity to participate in The Maui Whale Festival, that will feature a parade, live music, and other festivities!

Though humpback whales can reach the length up to 16 meters, weigh around 30 tonnes, and travel up to 25.000 kilometers a year, these sea mammals are still endangered due to overfishing, noise pollution, and sea vehicle collisions. In spite of their voluminous size, the latter is the most common cause of serious injuries and death of the whales. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, now the population of this marine animal has recovered to around 80.000 of them worldwide; the humpbacks still need our protection to live and thrive.

This leviathan of a list is Bored Panda's way of taking part and letting you join, in these World Whale Day festivities. Which sea animal photo do you find the most inspiring? Do you have some whale pictures of your own? Vote or submit your pics below!

More info: mauiwhalefestival.org

#1

Whale Whisperers

Whale Whisperers

Anuar Patjane Report

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MiguelRodrigues
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don´t like the first one. No matter what anyone will say, that courtain of bubbles and that croud of divers so close to a cuf and its mam IS stressing. All other photos are just fabulous!

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    #2

    Gentoo And Adélie Penguins Watching Humpback Show

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    #3

    Humback Whale And Diver Shake Hands

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    #8

    Paddle Boarding With Whales In Esperance, Western Australia

    Paddle Boarding With Whales In Esperance, Western Australia

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    #9

    Man Face To Face With Whale

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    #10

    Humpback Whale

    Humpback Whale

    Christopher Michel Report

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    #11

    What Lies Beneath

    What Lies Beneath

    Justin Hofman Report

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    MichelleMironenko
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It would be funny if the whale just kept popping up out of nowhere just to mess with the boaters

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    #12

    Seal Surfing On A Whale

    Seal Surfing On A Whale

    Robyn Malcolm Report

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    TammyChapman
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reminds me of the crow who hitch hiked on the eagle. That would be really cool though, surfing on a whale. Awesome.

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    #16

    Nature Photographer Gets An Amazing Shot Of A Humpback Whale

    Nature Photographer Gets An Amazing Shot Of A Humpback Whale

    Karl-Otto Jacobsen Report

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    #19

    Sleeping Sperm Whales

    Sleeping Sperm Whales

    Eric Cheng Report

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    SmileyRie
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But like otters -they hold paws when they sleep. Hadn't thought about sea creatures snoozing. Wonder if they dream about falling upwards?

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    #20

    Whale Shoots A Rainbow Off Newport Beach Coast

    Whale Shoots A Rainbow Off Newport Beach Coast

    Mark G Media Report

    #22

    Humpback Whale And Calf

    Humpback Whale And Calf

    Yann Hubert Report

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    #25

    A Humpback Whale Calf Swims In The Waters Of Tonga’s Vava’u Islands

    A Humpback Whale Calf Swims In The Waters Of Tonga’s Vava’u Islands

    Marc Henauer Report

    #26

    Whale Watchers Look The Wrong Way

    Whale Watchers Look The Wrong Way

    Simon Duggan Report

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    BobbiNewell
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Humans: "There should be whales in the area..." Whale: "Tee hee, I'm so sneaky!"

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    #27

    Go Into The Light And Fluke - Winter In Colourful Norway!

    Go Into The Light And Fluke - Winter In Colourful Norway!

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    #29

    Humpback Whale

    Humpback Whale

    Gaby Barathieu Report

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    MichelleMironenko
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's amazing how deep the ocean is. Like a never ending portal to another world. Absolutely beautiful with the whale

    #30

    Whale Tail

    Whale Tail

    Aleksandra Turkowska Report

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    #31

    Who's Looking At Whom?

    Who's Looking At Whom?

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    TammyChapman
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've always felt that being able to look into a whales eye is like seeing wisdom and our past and it's just something that defies explanation. I feel a great sense of peace, awe, respect and love every time I see a picture of a whale. Maybe I can see them in real life some day.

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    #32

    A Beluga Whale Banana's Itself While Rubbing Its Skin On The Rocks

    A Beluga Whale Banana's Itself While Rubbing Its Skin On The Rocks

    David Merron Report

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    #33

    The Journey

    The Journey

    Jon Wright Report

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    #34

    Whale - Dancer

    Whale - Dancer

    Gleb Tarro Report

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    #35

    Sperm Whales Off The Azores

    Sperm Whales Off The Azores

    Wade Hughes Report

    #36

    Partial Sequence Of A Brown Pelican Mistakenly Ingested, Getting Free Of A Humpback Whale's Maw

    Partial Sequence Of A Brown Pelican Mistakenly Ingested, Getting Free Of A Humpback Whale's Maw

    Brad Schram Report

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    #37

    Sun Touch

    Sun Touch

    Igor Kruglikov Report

    #39

    Humpback Whale Brings Rainbow

    Humpback Whale Brings Rainbow

    Olivia Ambrogio Report

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    SmileyRie
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The pot of gold at the end keeps swimming away. That's why we can never find it

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    #41

    Whale Mother And Calf Pair

    Whale Mother And Calf Pair

    Gaby Barathieu Report

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    #42

    To The Surface

    To The Surface

    Gaby Barathieu Report

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    #43

    Not A Bad Id Photo ;-)

    Not A Bad Id Photo ;-)

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    #44

    Humpback Whale With Underwater Photographer

    Humpback Whale With Underwater Photographer

    Gaby Barathieu Report

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    #45

    A Humpback Whale Shows Its Fluke

    A Humpback Whale Shows Its Fluke

    Tony Beck Report

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    #46

    People Watching

    People Watching

    David Vaaknin Report

    #47

    Fly Like A Bird

    Fly Like A Bird

    Mario Nonaka Report

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    #48

    Humpy Ballet - Hawaiian Style

    Humpy Ballet - Hawaiian Style

    Petra Invernizzi Report

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    #50

    Bubblenet

    Bubblenet

    Gary Luhm Report

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    TammyChapman
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've seen this before on Channel 13, It's really cool how the whales do this.

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    #51

    Sperm Whale Near Mauritius Island Coast

    Sperm Whale Near Mauritius Island Coast

    Gaby Barathieu Report

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    #52

    Humpback Whale Tail

    Humpback Whale Tail

    Christopher Michel Report

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    #53

    Humpback Whale Breach

    Humpback Whale Breach

    underwaterphotography Report

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    #54

    Humpback Whale

    Humpback Whale

    Vivian Krug Report

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    lessymac
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I got to see these Humpbacks last spring off Avila Beach and Pismo Beach CA - awesome!

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    #55

    Humpback Breeches Off Cape Cod.

    Humpback Breeches Off Cape Cod.

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    #56

    Humpback Whale And The Sky

    Humpback Whale And The Sky

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    #57

    Curious Whale

    Curious Whale

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    #58

    Whales Hervery Bay

    Whales Hervery Bay

    Michael Dawes Report

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    #59

    Humpback Whale Near Maui

    Humpback Whale Near Maui

    Mark Nicol Report

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    #60

    Jumpy Humpy

    Jumpy Humpy

    Frank Stelges Report

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    #61

    Humpback Whale

    Humpback Whale

    Hugo Robert Report

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    #62

    Humpback Whale Pops Up Behind Me In Dominican Republic

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    #63

    Tail Wag

    Tail Wag

    Tom Kluyskens Report

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    #64

    Disturbed

    Disturbed

    Tony Beck Report

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    #65

    Sad?

    Sad?

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    #66

    Sperm Whale Bull Washes Up On Norfolk Coast

    Sperm Whale Bull Washes Up On Norfolk Coast

    Javier Delgado Esteban Report

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    #67

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    #68

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    #69

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    #70

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