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Freedom... — Description
Five miles deep under water,
You hear their voices sing!
Surely that must be to every man
A most fantastic thing!
- Rose Tattoo, Calling

To me, the humpback whale is perhaps one of the most beautiful creatures on Earth. They're just so majestic, and I could literally watch them for hours at a time.

Prior to my honeymoon, I'd only ever seen live humpbacks once before (back in 1996). However, Fraser Island, off the Queensland coast - where ~dvixen and I had our honeymoon - plays host every year to a sizeable percentage of the over 10,000 humpbacks that migrate north from Antartica. We were lucky enough to see whales on three separate days, including going on a whale watching cruise on our last full day on the island.

These gentle giants are perhaps the epitome of freedom to me. While they can swim at up to 35km/h, they never look hurried, and they know where they're going and don't worry about how long it's going to take them to get there. When they're ready to move, they move.

I'd like to dedicate this shot to my good friend, BruceB. May it bring you the same sense of peace it brings me