An Award-Winning Underwater Image with a Story Behind the Eye

Underwater photography is often about patience, respect, and learning to let nature unfold on its own terms. Eye Spy is an image that represents all of those things to me. It captures a quiet, intimate moment with a juvenile grey whale in Baja California Sur, Mexico - a fleeting encounter that felt less like simply taking a photograph and more like being briefly allowed into another world.

The ocean can feel vast, mysterious, and unknowable, but moments like this remind me that connection often begins with something incredibly small: eye contact, stillness, curiosity, and mutual awareness. That is what I hoped this image would communicate.

Winning the Big and Small Underwater Faces Category

The Big and Small Underwater Faces category celebrates the character, individuality, and presence of marine life beneath the surface. For me, that makes this recognition especially meaningful. So much of my work as a wildlife photographer and filmmaker is centred around helping people see animals not as distant subjects, but as living beings with behaviour, personality, and ecological importance.

To have Eye Spy recognised by the Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day is a huge honour. World Oceans Day is a moment to celebrate the beauty of our blue planet, but it is also a reminder of how much is at stake. Our oceans regulate climate, support biodiversity, sustain communities, and hold some of the most extraordinary wildlife on Earth.

Why Ocean Photography Matters

Most people will never have the chance to come face to face with the marine animals I am lucky enough to photograph. That gives underwater photographers a responsibility. We are not just creating beautiful images; we are creating windows into ecosystems that are often hidden from view.

A single image can spark curiosity. Curiosity can lead to care. And care is often the beginning of conservation. That is why I believe ocean storytelling matters so deeply. When people feel connected to the ocean, they are more likely to understand why it needs protecting.

Through my work, I aim to bridge science, conservation, and visual storytelling - creating images and films that celebrate the natural world while encouraging people to think more deeply about their relationship with it.

The Moment Behind Eye Spy

This image was taken during my time documenting the grey whales of Mexico. The encounter lasted only a few minutes, but it stayed with me long after we left the lagoon

What I remember most was how curious this juvenile whale was of us and our boat. In wildlife photography, you can prepare everything - your camera settings, your plan, your positioning - but you can never control nature. The most meaningful moments are given, not taken.

Eye Spy is a reminder of that. It is a photograph about presence, patience, and the privilege of witnessing marine life on its own terms.

A Recognition for Ocean Storytelling

As a wildlife conservation biologist, photographer, and filmmaker, I have always believed that storytelling can play a powerful role in conservation. Awards are never the reason I do this work, but recognition like this helps bring more attention to the species, ecosystems, and ocean stories that urgently need to be seen.

I’m grateful to the organisers, judges, and everyone involved in the Photo Competition for UN World Oceans Day for creating a platform that celebrates the ocean and the photographers working to share its stories.

Protecting the World Beneath the Surface

The ocean is not separate from us. It shapes our climate, supports life across the planet, and connects communities around the world. Yet it faces increasing pressure from climate change, overfishing, plastic pollution, habitat loss, and unsustainable human activity.

Images like Eye Spy are small reminders of what still exists beneath the surface - and why it is worth protecting. Every encounter with marine life is a privilege. Every story we tell about the ocean is an opportunity to build connection, awareness, and action.

I hope this image encourages people to look a little closer, care a little deeper, and remember that the future of the ocean depends on the choices we make now.