Whale Code: Humpback Calf Breaches in Hunt For Mother

A MAJESTIC whale leaps out of the ocean as it tragically searches for its mother

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Anguish: A humpback calf desperately searches for his mother in the water off the South Africa coast

The enormous calf spent two hours continually breaching – but tourists soon began to understand the devastating reason why.

Frantic: The young humpback whale breached at least 100 times over two hours

The young humpback whale, which was spotted on the southern tip of South Africa between Port Elizabeth and Port Alfred, was clearly in distress.

The distressed calf was spotted on the southern tip of South Africa

He had been separated from his mother and breached more than 100 times in two hours as he searched the vast Indian Ocean.

The young humpback whale smacks down onto the surface of the water with a splash

The large and energetic movement serves as a communication to other animals above and below the sea and the sound travels well in water.

Whale-code: The large and energetic movement serves as a communication to other animals above and below the sea and the sound travels well in water

Silke Schimpf, a 45-year-old photographer who lives in Port Elizabeth with her husband, Rainier, had mixed reactions to the unusual sight.

The abondoned animal whipped up the Indian Ocean in his desperate display

She said: “We approached the whale at a 300m distance, but realised that once the whale had seen us he was coming closer to look for a companion and he would not move away form the boat for a while.

Silke Schimpf, a 45-year-old photographer who lives in Port Elizabeth with her husband, Rainier, came across the calf and was concerned by its frantic behaviour

“First we were amazed, especially as the amount of breaches were stunning. After a while we felt sorry for the whale as we realised how tiring this was for the calf.

The pair contacted the whale authorities - warning ships not to run into the exhausted animal

“After two hours it was so exhausted that we reported the whale to authorities, warning ships not to run into it.”

Splash-down: the calf hits the ocean with incredible force

Silke and her husband left the young calf alone and panicked in the water as it searched for its mother – but were later relieved to come across the youngster with its mum.