In December 2025, photographers Monique and Chris Fallows documented the largest known humpback whale supergroup off South Africa’s west coast, capturing images of 372 individual whales over two days. Although humpbacks typically live alone, they gather to mate and feed. Here, they were feeding on krill that followed enormous phytoplankton blooms.

This opportunity to observe and photograph so many humpbacks highlights the success of conservation efforts since the 1986 global moratorium  on commercial whaling. In the Southern Hemisphere, the humpback population has significantly recovered, reaching an estimated 70 percent of pre-hunting numbers. Migrating whales like the humpback perform a vital role in transporting vast amounts of nutrients globally.