Up to 2,000 humpbacks are estimated to be feeding along the West Coast this summer, according to the Happywhale project. The songs of vast congregations of humpback whales on the West Coast in recent weeks has been music to the ears of marine biologists, scientists, photographers and fishermen. On 29 December, Fallows said he photographed 208 humpback whales. “And then the 30th came along and we photographically recorded 304 humpback whales,” he said. “The return of humpback whales to local waters is evidence of the resilience of the oceans.