These pictures were taken during Eye to Eye Marine Encounters dwarf minke whale trips. During an expedition and in accordance with the industry Code of Practice, once a whale is spotted, one or two ‘minke lines’ are deployed from the boat for passengers to hold on to. This ensures that all human movements are structured and predictable and allows for the whales to be in control of the entire encounter. As their curiosity gets the better of them these ‘small’ whales (with lengths <8m they are one of the world’s smallest baleen whales) approach closer and more frequently as time passes, with other whales often joining in throughout an interaction.