Each time I get in the water with a humpback whale, I am struck by their curiosity, playfulness, and the unmistakable intelligence of a species that has traversed the ocean long before humans walked the Earth. There are few things more humbling than swimming beside them and feeling the featherweight of your own insignificance next to a true gentle giant. At the same time, they have a funny way of illuminating just how much we share with our fellow wild kin. Much like people, humpback whales communicate and unite through music, pass down invaluable knowledge to their young, and experience a vast, complex spectrum of deep emotion.