Many of our encounters with these beautiful creatures were very fleeting.

Despite their size humpback whales are very fast and very agile when they want to be. It is often quite deceptive just how fast they really are moving.

This young male, like many others was not interested in spending time lolling on the surface with the little ungainly creatures we all must have seemed like. This time however I took up the challenge and dove in pursuit.

Although he was moving fast, very fast, an amazing thing happened as I neared.

There was no slowing in our pace however the effort to keep alongside simply melted away as I was captured in his watery slipstream.

What seemed like minutes we swam at speed, my dolphining to his barely perceptible movements yet below the ocean floor race by.

At last, my breath exhausted I broke away to return to the surface and in a moment he was gone.

Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Slipstreaming’ 1/30s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm