Swimming With Giant Whales

eted by grinning belugas.

Up close: A diver swims with two white beluga whales under the ice in the White Sea, Russia

Cold work: 'Buddy teams' dig out huge chunks of ice using a hand-powered drill to create dive holes in the White Sea, Russia

Under the water two belugas lead a diver by delicately taking his hands in their mouths and pulling him through the icy darkness.

Photographer Andrey Nekasov, 38, from Odessa, Ukraine, visited the White Sea - off the Barents sea on the north-west coast of Russia - which is popular for spotting pods of the all-white swimming mammals.  

Some of the whales in the area were formerly captive but reintroduced to the wild after being rehabilitated. 

Curious by nature, the whales greet dive teams as they cut dive holes into the thick Arctic ice by popping their heads out.   

Once underwater, divers often get to play games with the whales as they explore and seemingly show off to their guests.   

'The White Sea is a whale sanctuary and belugas have been released here from zoos and marine parks,' Mr Nekasov said.

'They are breeding well and there are many babies.'

Belugas have 40 small conical teeth which they use to grasp fish.

The photographer added: 'With this diver they were gripping his hand very gently and pulling him along. It was a lot of fun.

Ice to meet you: The whales swim to the surface to greet the divers

Underwater love: The two beluga whales swim with a diver near the opening of the dive hole