First encounter - Brian Skerry - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2008

2008: Underwater Worlds - Winner

Brian Skerry Enlarge image First encounter

Brian Skerry (United States of America)

First encounter

'Swimming with a 14-metre-long, 70-tonne whale, off the Auckland Islands, New Zealand, was the single most incredible animal encounter I have ever had. It was probably memorable for the southern right whale, too, which became fascinated by my dive buddy. Almost certainly the whale had never encountered humans under water, and was as curious about us as we were about it.' Southern right whales live in the Southern Ocean. They are called right whales because according to hunters they are the right ones to hunt. This is because when they die their bodies float, making them easy to drag back to whaling stations. The most common cause of death for right whales these days is being hit by a ship or entangled in fishing nets. Enough have died this way to make them endangered.

Nikon D2x + 10.5mm f2.8 lens; 1/80 sec at f6.3; Subal housing.