Size and Scale

Only 12 hours ago we were in the water with this animal. A young Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae, breathing, but eyes shut, taking what were t be its last breaths. As the light faded hundreds sharks began to close in around us, sensing the hour last late for this whale, but they seemed to be wary of our presence and would not approach while we guarded the sick whale. What has caused this animal to fall ill, we are unsure. Maybe it was recently weaned off milk and has not managed to transition into fending for itself. Quite likely this may have been its first solo migration from Antarctica to Ningaloo, without the guidance of its mother and the journey has proven to be too much. We stayed with the animal until we ran out of light and could no longer see. At first light we returned, hoping it had recovered, but all we found were bones. It is the brutal reality of mother nature, sickness does not exist on a healthy reef and while a sad moment, this animal played a crucial role in the circle of life. It has transported a masses of energy from the nutrient rich Antarctic waters over 10,000 km away to the nutrient poor waters of Ningaloo reef. This image was taken for research and here one of our group poses alongside. It is hoped this scale photo may provide a small piece of data into what may have happened to this animal. Photo taken in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

About the frames:
All frames are Australian made from sustainably sourced materials and come ready to hang with hanging gear. The prints are also printed, and mounted right here in Australia and are on high quality Hahnemuhle Smooth Photo Rag 308gsm 100% cotton rag.