You slip over the side of your boat, descending deep into the dark realm of the Earth's largest creature. Then the whale starts to sing, just feet away from you. Photographer Flip Nicklin brings you face to face with whales as they communicate, nurse their young, and surface dramatically for air. Learn of the different kinds of whales, discover how we can aid their recovery from years of overhunting, and how we can protect their environment.

Flip Nicklin is a National Geographic photographer with more than 5,500 dives spent observing dolphins and whales to his credit. Some of his books are With the Whales and Whales: Dolphins and Porpoises, and his 20 articles for National Geographic magazine include “Bottlenose Whales,” “Listening to Humpbacks,” and “Pursuing the Minke.” He also works actively with the Whale Trust, a whale conservation organization.
“Listening to Humpbacks,”
Linda Nicklin is a writer, educator, and naturalist who collaborates on research and education projects with her husband, National Geographic photographer Flip. They have coauthored the children’s books Face to Face with Dolphins and Face to Face with Whales. The Nicklins live in Alaska and Hawaii, where they work on their research boat, The Trust.