Each year, the humpback whales trace an ancient arc between Antarctic waters and the tropical coast of Queensland — a migration older than any human record of it. This season off Cairns, that passage has arrived with unusual abundance: 115 adult whales already counted by Reef Unlimited, surpassing the whole of last year's tally with tours still running. Among them travel neonate calves, the youngest of their kind, offering those on the water a glimpse of life at its most newly formed. Whether this signals a population in recovery or simply a generous season, the sea is, for now, full.