In the waters off Mikurajima, I encountered a wild southern bottlenose dolphin calf swimming close to its mother. The fine vertical lines on its side, known as fetal folds, are marks from being curled up in the womb—evidence that this calf is only days or weeks old. Bathed in sunlight filtering through five meters of water, the calf swam peacefully, nestled against its mother. While dolphin mothers usually shield their young from humans, this one seemed to show her baby to me, as if offering a rare moment of trust. It was a deeply moving encounter I will never forget.
Tomohiro Yoshikawa is a Japan-based photographer specializing in underwater and wildlife photography. After discovering scuba diving in 2020, he became captivated by the ocean and began photographing underwater in 2024. Focusing particularly on cetaceans, he seeks to capture and share moments that no one has ever seen—fleeting encounters that reveal the hidden beauty of the natural world.