HUMPBACK WHALES GLIDE PAST BOATS IN SPECTACULAR CLOSE ENCOUNTERS DURING MIGRATIONS<br />WITH PIX AND VID<br />By Shuk Yee Tsang<br />A breathtaking video shows humpback whales passing close to boats off the coast. <br />The moment was captured by videographer Geoffrey Aquino, 52, from Queensland, Australia in Noosa, Queensland, Australia. <br />Some days he films from coastline cliffs for a broader vantage point. <br /> Other days, he launches drones from vessels, a task he says requires advanced skill, steady conditions, and strict safety protocols, especially around moving decks. <br />Capturing such footage is far from simple. He added that predicting where whales will surface is an art of timing and intuition.<br />Aquino has been a licensed drone pilot for more than eight years and holds multiple permits for the locations he films Seasonal whale-migration content.<br />No one was harmed in the encounter, and the only subject featured in the video is the whale itself. Aquino is happy to be credited and available for follow-up interviews.<br /> For him, whale encounters near vessels reveal this as he said: “human fascination meeting wild nature… moments that can exist in harmony when approached with respect and understanding.”<br /> “My work spans the full rhythm of Queensland’s coastline from nature and marine life"<br />"Filming whales is both an art and a challenge.<br />" They can disappear underwater for long periods, and predicting where they’ll breach across kilometres of open sea requires experience, timing, and intuition.<br />“When filming, it’s a balance between precision and patience. <br />“You’re managing unpredictable subjects, shifting weather, and compliance boundaries. <br /> "All while maintaining a calm awareness of the ocean. It’s intense, instinctive work, but deeply humbling.”<br />END
