Sitting, floating, waiting—it’s almost meditative. It’s the kind of anticipation that paulnicklen has spent a lifetime chasing through his lens. But waiting for the largest animal on Earth to take its next breath might be the greatest anticipation of all. Like a wave exploding against a rugged shoreline, a blue whale exhales at the surface. Most days on the Sea of Cortez began like this—up on deck before sunrise, listening, hoping for the unmistakable sound of a whale nearby. From below, they appear a deep blue, but as they surface, their grey hue catches the light, shimmering like iridescent silver. The longest blue whale ever recorded was a staggering 110 feet—almost beyond comprehension. Yet despite their immense size, they’re remarkably docile. Sadly, that docile nature made them easy targets during the whaling era, pushing their numbers to the brink. Now, their population sits at around 10-25,000 individuals. Though whaling may be over, vessel strikes remain one of their great...