Whales frolic under the northern lights

Humans aren’t the only ones who appreciate the beauty of the northern lights.

Norwegian photographer Harald Albrigtsen has captured breathtaking footage of a group of humpback whales basking under a night sky lit up by the aurora borealis.

Albrigtsen, who in January filmed a viral video of deer grazing under a similarly spectacular northern lights display, said he had seen the whales the evening before and returned the next night to see if he could get a closer shot.

After waiting for hours for the whales to turn up, Albrigtsen – who works for Norwegian Public Broadcasting – was about to give up when he stuck gold.

The whales came back, playfully frolicking in front of the camera as they hunted for herring.

The stunning images were captured off the Kvaløya coast, near the Norwegian city of Tromsø.