Humpback whales

Jumping for joy! Humpback whales breach off the coast of Alaska for the sheer fun of it

Nature can often leave us marvelling with its expressive and colourful displays of beauty. But a show of pure happiness put on by wildlife is probably a little more unusual. That's exactly what these Alaskan humpback whales were photographed doing, however, as they leapt for joy in the Pacific Ocean. The huge whales even reached heights of 45 feet in the air during the mighty displays. And although scientists remain unsure why humpback whales put on the impressive shows, a theory is that they do it out of simple and unadulterated joy. One nature photographer, Jon Cornforth, from Seattle in the U.S., has found what he believes to be the 'capital' of humpback whale breaching. Away from the presence of humans, he says a quiet corner of the north east Pacific, named Frederick Sound, is a place like no other to witness the breaching in action. Mr Cornforth said: 'Once a whale breaches, others will follow suit as if to say, 'I am happy, too'. 'Leaping out of the water and into the air has got to be one of the most powerful ways to communicate happiness to each other. 'Playful juveniles are frequently the ones to start the adults off.' The humpback whales photographed in the incredible pictures were part of a population of up to 5,000 that experts estimate live in the Pacific at any one time. During summer, they travel to the cold waters off the Alaskan coast to feed. And in the winter, they swim down to the warmer shores that lie close to Mexico. Speaking about the sightings of the mighty creatures in action at Frederick Sound, Mr Cornforth said he believes the area is unrivalled: 'It has to be the best place in the world to have a chance to see humpback whales breaching. 'If there are a couple of hundred humpbacks close by, I would witness a breach at least every 30 minutes, whereas in most places you could wait hours and still not see any activity. 'Sometimes curious whales will come up to my boat to investigate and breach close to me.

'That's one of the most incredible experiences in the world.'