“You had a once-in-a-year day today.”

Wildlife experiences tend to be easier to describe in feelings than in frequency. Even then, I often find myself taking days, months, or even years to find the right words to accompany an image.

The nature of these moments varies significantly. A combination of conditions, duration, and behavior makes it difficult to assign odds to what you'll observe.

So, this time, I let my guide to do it for me.

Most encounters with these whales are brief. They swim past you in seconds, already preparing for their next descent into the abyss. Even during these respites for air, the titans slice through the water far too quickly to keep up with.

The two most coveted behaviors—sleeping and socializing—are not only the most visually impactful, but they also give you the most time and flexibility to compose an image.

On this day, I was graced with both.

Socialization events, like the one captured here, are seldom witnessed. Sperm whales form tightly knit matrilineal units of around ten members. Grandmothers, mothers, and calves—sometimes from multiple family units—pause their travels to gather at the surface.

They twirl in place, bob their heads, and press together in a tangle of forms, clicking constantly in conversation. These 15-ton giants converge in a single moment—bodies and time aligned.

No matter how many times I return to Dominica, I likely won’t have a day like this again. It was the novelty of the encounter—but also its essence. While you hope a subject will interact with you and your camera, it's often the interactions among the animals that carry more weight.

The whales engage in this spectacular display—not to impress, but to connect.

These bonds being forged will last the rest of their lives.