Our captain drives the boat toward a cluster of other boats and we discover there are two humpbacks swimming beneath the surface. One approaches our boat and swims underneath it, showing us the magnitude of its body compared to our small vessel. Then, an enormous fin breaks through the water, towering above our boat. We can see all the detail of the animal’s “propulsion system,” including the barnacles that line up along the ridge of the fin. The whale slaps its fin on the water repeatedly, and it seems playful.

“Sometimes they are trying to slap the barnacles off their fins, and other times they are trying to impress a female,” our guide explains.

“Mission accomplished,” I answer. “This female is impressed.”