In French Polynesia, a mother humpback locked eyes with photographer Rachel Moore. Her story weighs that wonder against ship strikes, noise and entanglement, and asks what we will do to protect the ocean.
Wonder held with responsibility
Photographer and ocean advocate Rachel Moore, who has spent eight years sailing the world aboard her boat, recalls her first meeting with humpback whales in French Polynesia. A mother whale with her calf paused beside her, tilted her huge body and held Moore's gaze, an encounter that turned into a personal call to protect the sea.
She explains why whales matter to the wider ocean. Their movements carry nutrients up from the depths, helping phytoplankton grow, and she notes these tiny organisms produce over half of the world's oxygen. She then lists the threats: entanglement in fishing gear, ship strikes, noise and the effects of climate change on food sources. Large marine protected areas in French Polynesia are one source of hope.
An editor's note tells the story of a young whale Moore nicknamed Sweet Girl, photographed near Tahiti, who died in a ship collision two days later. That loss drives Moore's push for ship speed limits along migration routes. She closes with practical steps: choose sustainable seafood, cut plastic use, support policy change, join citizen science and share stories.
_This story was written by Rachel Moore for Untold Wildlife, our partner in bringing overlooked conservation stories to more people._