Sea creature and baby surprise couple with ‘magical underwater encounter’, photos show
Gary Sroka and Brooke Brown recently made the 560-mile sailing trip from French Polynesia to Suwarrow, an island in the south Pacific Ocean.
The couple — who run a page called Sailing One Life to document their life and travels aboard their sailboat — described Suwarrow as “a remote and pristine coral atoll,” according to an Oct. 26 Facebook post.
“It’s part of the Cook Islands and is one of the most isolated and untouched places you can visit,” they wrote in their post. “It is only reachable by boat and a dream destination for sailors.”
But the duo’s trip to Suwarrow got even more special after “a magical underwater encounter” with a mama humpback whale and her calf, Sroka and Brown wrote in a Nov. 6 Sailing One Life Facebook post. The couple was swimming around the reef when they spotted the sea creatures.
“We felt incredibly privileged to be welcomed into their underwater world,” their post said. “The silent exchange of glances with these massive mammals created an unforgettable connection.”
Photos show the mom and baby humpback swimming close to the surface of the water.
“Omg. I would literally die of happiness,” one person commented on the photos.
“Now THAT is a special encounter,” another commenter wrote.
“Amazing encounter!! What a treat,” a third comment said.
This story was originally published November 6, 2023 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Sea creature and baby surprise couple with ‘magical underwater encounter’, photos show."
