STILL LIFE
FIN WHALE’S DEMISE
FIN WHALE, BALAENOPTERA PHYSALUS STATUS: VULNERABLE
Mat Beetson, Western Australia
The fin whale is sighted regularly in this region; seeing one beached, however, is rare. The whale sits less than 5m from shore and 100m from residential homes, giving whale researchers access to an unusual occurrence for this species. Bronze whalers and great whites feasted over the remains before removal.
Cheynes Beach, Albany, Western Australia
DJI Phantom 4 Pro Drone, 24mm, 1/500, f/5.6, ISO 100, 118m high, filmed with permission of The WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
Despite seeing millions of nature photographs over the decades, we have never seen anything that remotely resembles this image. Unique and exciting, it reveals incredible beauty in death. Rather than being an inanimate scene, the image is given life by the circling shark, which in turn reminds us of the ecological function of the dead whale, providing food and energy to the living organisms around it. The image surprises by revealing such a shocking scene in a beautiful setting, and speaks volumes of the new dimension the latest technology has opened up for photographers.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2019
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY has traditionally been the preserve of professional photographers with deep pockets, or at least those in the employ of cashed-up clients who can hire an aircraft and its pilot
