I will say that while diving in the Coral Sea off of Australia we were able to see both Humpback and Minke whales. We only saw the Humpback from a distance. We were able to snokel on lines thrown behind the boat with the Minke whales. Filming them would have been very difficult, the contrast between the blue neverland below them as they swam under you would make it hard to discern them on the film. They were most noticeable by their fin markings that are white. Even though the Minke whales would past directly under us and even turn and look at you with one eye they seemed hard to see with their coloration. They also kept their distance never getting closer than 30ft. from us. I was able to see one a bit closer when on the GBR, once while I was returning to the boat and out of film, a Minke passed under me maybe twenty feet below me but I didn't realize it immediatly it just seemed as if the bottom was moving at first until I saw the white fin markings and then......of course I was out of film!
Diving is fun,
Caymaniac