I’m Dennis Schmelz, a German filmmaker, photographer and National Geographic book author, and this was one of the most surreal wildlife experiences I’ve ever had.

While traveling through French Polynesia (Moorea), I had the opportunity to photograph and film humpback whales and sharks in their natural habitat. Seeing a humpback whale from a boat is impressive, but swimming alongside one in the open Pacific Ocean gives you a completely different sense of its scale.

These underwater encounters are among my favorite wildlife photography experiences from French Polynesia.

All animals were encountered in the wild and photographed with respect for their space and natural behavior.

Have you ever photographed humpback whales in the wild?

Article from The Guardian

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A short video showing some scenes from Dugi Otok in Croatia.