We're going to need a bigger boat! Breathtaking pictures show 50-tonne whale and calves swimming underneath vessel

50-tonne southern right whale and its calves swim close to boat

Wildlife photographer Justin Hofman captured the images

Group were so engrossed in taking pictures, they had a few narrow misses

A group of wildlife watchers scan the open ocean for activity - as a huge whale drifts just below them.



These amazing images show a 50-tonne southern right whale and its calves swim within touching distance of a small tourist vessel and its crew.



The massive mammal dwarfs the boat and could easily crush it with one swipe of its 15ft tail.

Breathtaking: A 50-tonne southern right whale and calves swim underneath a small tourist vessel

Up close: wildlife photographer Justin Hofman said the family seemed more intent on making friends

Monster: A whale watcher (top right) swims next to the 50-tonne whale in the Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

But according to wildlife photographer Justin Hofman - the family seemed more intent on making friends.



He said: 'Being in the water with a whale is the most humbling experience I've ever had underwater.



'Not only are these animals massive, but they are long-lived, intelligent, cultural beings.



'Swimming along with a curious right whale calf was nerve-racking. At any moment I thought 'mom' was eventually going to get annoyed with me and swat me with her 15ft tail - and I'd be a goner.

'Yet, with every passing minute we felt more comfortable around each other and they became curious about us and would make closer passes.'



Mr Hofman said they were so engrossed in taking pictures, they had a few narrow misses with the huge animal.



He said: 'It actually became quite funny because we would be totally enthralled by the animal, taking pictures of the head and eye as they were swimming by - but then the instant we got past the pectoral flippers it became a mad scramble to swim away from the whale to avoid their tail.



'At one point, one of the calves was rolling around on top of its mother, upside down, and its tail was raised out of the water.

Powerful: A seagull looks tiny compared to the whale whose 15ft tail could easily crush the tourist boat

'Humbling': Mr Hofman said: 'Being in the water with them is most humbling' but made sure to avoid its tail

Here's looking at you: The photographer got pictures of its head but then it was a 'mad dash' to get away

'The calf rolled awkwardly off of its mom and slashed its tail to the side to roll itself over and get a breath.



'The slash of the tail landed in the water just a few feet from me, immersing me in a cloud of bubbles.



'Reality came rushing back and I knew I couldn't let my guard down for a second or else risk having a major incident. All in all though I knew that if anything went wrong it would be my fault and not the whale's.'



The photographs were taken in the Peninsula Valdes, Argentina, where southern right whales head between September and December to raise their offspring.



The species were often targeted by hunters because their thick blubber made them float to the surface after being killed - making them easy to catch.







