United by a shared appetite for herring, whales and fishermen have a unique relationship. Fishermen follow individuals like this killer whale to find fish and in turn the whales seek out fishing boats, having learnt to associate the sound of fishing nets with a free meal. Audun wanted to show this relationship from both perspectives in this dramatic split-level picture.
At first it seems like a win-win relationship, but this can be detrimental to the whales. Sometimes they will try to steal the fish, entangling themselves in the nets with potentially fatal consequences. The fishermen are so concerned about how frequently this is happening that they are searching for solutions.
Norway
Audun is a photographer and full-time professor of biology at the Arctic University of Norway. Growing up in a small fishing community in northern Norway, he developed a lifelong fascination with the Arctic's rough landscape, culture and wildlife, both above and below the ocean's surface. He uses his fieldwork photography to inspire his students and to draw attention to the science.
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