Photo of sleeping whale with cub wins contest and $120k!

In this year’s HIPA photo competition, with the theme of water, the first place and the main prize of $120,000 was won by a photograph by Jasmine Carey from Australia, showing an adult female whale with her 2-week-old young while they were sleeping.

Carey managed to capture this spectacular frame while diving in the Pacific waters of the Kingdom of Tonga.

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“When the clouds started to move in, it really softened the light and the mood in the water. I almost felt like I was outside my own body. Floating on the surface, looking down and watching the mother and cubs felt so safe, trusting and peaceful. Clearly the whales were aware of our presence but didn’t let it affect them. Watching it all, I knew that what I was seeing was pure magic and I just hoped that I would be able to take an adequate photo. That’s definitely the hardest part, to be able to capture all that beauty,” Carey said

By her own admission, being so close to the whales is the greatest adventure of her life as a wildlife photographer. In turn, being able to photograph an animal the size of a bus makes you realise your own existence.

“All your emotions explode at once, and yet you feel cleansed of all your daily problems, and all the heaviness of our souls just melts away.”

^{Source: abc.net.au}