You never know what you might see, when you head out to sea. A few weeks ago on a routine plankton-sampling trip we met this beautiful Humpback whale – paikea – and got the full show of fin-slapping and breaching for a magical few minutes. And then, just like that, the show was over, the whale flicking up a tail and vanishing into the depths.

I wasn’t well prepared for whale photography (with a 300mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter!) but I made do. In a way, I’m glad. A wider frame would have lost the details in the spray, and the beautiful patterning of barnacles on whale skin. There’s a video on the NNZST Facebook page if you want a replay of the whole scene – I know I’ve watched it a few times despite having been there to see it in person! I love going out to sea. Even when conditions are rolly and the sea-sickness sets in, the anticipation and excitement is always there. There are always surprises, just like this one, to remind me that some of the most amazing things in life can’t be planned – they just happen – and that’s part of their beauty.